I See You
by Midnat
Summary: After offending the Fellowship of the Sun, Sophie is tossed into a cage underneath their church, only to realise that she's not alone. AU, Godric/OC. Small bit of Eric/OC/Godric later on. Rated M for language and True Bloody goodness.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_There just cannot be too much Godric fan fiction in the world. Please, enjoy my very first story!_

* * *

_xXx_

* * *

I groaned from pain when Gabe with unnecessary force pushed me against the door before he unlocked and opened it, pulling me through by my long hair.

I've never had a particularly high pain tolerance and so I screamed in agony and tiptoed next to him to lessen the pull on my hair, which didn't seem to faze the brute in the slightest as his only response was to throw me hard against a metal barred cage in the other end of the room.

Dazed from the impact I tried to get my legs to cooperate with my fear-struck brain in order to initiate some sort of an attempt of escape, but before the two parts of my body had managed to open up any sort of communication Gabe had unlocked the cage. He grabbed me, again by my dark brown hair, and unceremoniously tossed me into the cage so I landed on the concrete floor on my hands and knees with a grunt.

"The sun sets in two hours, whore. I suggest you spend the time praying for forgiveness," Gabe smirked as he slammed the cage shut and locked it with a metallic click.

I stumbled to my feet and turned around so I could glare at him. "Let me out, you arsehole!"

An evil smile crept onto his face, and he purposely rubbed a hand over his groin. "If you'd rather spend the time getting fucked senseless like the little slut you are, then by all means…"

My bravery instantly left me and I quickly stepped back until the other side of the cage pressed against my back, my eyes wide with fear. If he decided to rape me I was under no illusion that I'd be able to fight him off. It was in that moment, while I instinctually searched for something, _anything_, to swing at him, that I realised I wasn't alone in the cage.

A dark haired teenage boy sat cross-legged on the floor without moving a muscle, his back straight and his eyes closed, a serene look on his handsome face. It looked like he was meditating.

Outraged I gaped at my attacker. "So now you kidnap children?!"

Gabe laughed loudly and then turned around to leave. "Start begging God for forgiveness. You don't have much time." And with that, he left the room and closed the door. I heard the lock click, and then the retreating sound of his footfall.

I cussed loudly, but my shoulders sank in defeat. There wasn't really much to do about my situation other than sit around and wait for the Fellowship of the Sun to make their next move, whatever that might be. Crazy fucks.

I turned around to look at the boy – or guy; a possibly-18 year old would probably not appreciate being called 'boy' – and pinched my lips together at his immobile figure. Nice to see that s_omeone_ could keep their cool while being locked up by crazies.

"Hey, hello?"

He not as much as batted an eyelid. Was he in some sort of a trance? Or was he just a total asshole… I knelt down in front of him, staring straight at him with my face no more than 5 inches from his. "Hello?"

Silence.

I blew air in his face. Not particularly mature, some might argue, but his total lack of acknowledgement of my existence pissed me off. Hello, damsel in distress here!

A suffering groan slipped past his full lips and a blurry eye was cracked open. "Don't… do that." It was hardly more than a whisper, and his eyelid immediately closed again.

His obvious grogginess scared me. Was he sick? Drugged? What on earth had they done to him?!

"Are you alright?" My pitch was slightly shrill with worry, and I carefully pried his left eye open with two fingers to make sure he didn't slip into unconsciousness. "Did they drug you?"

The white in the eye I had pried open slowly rolled until a greyblue iris with a very dilated pupil came into focus. "Shh, little one." He slowly raised a hand from his knee and wrapped it loosely around my wrist. Gently my fingers were pulled away from his eye so he could close it again before he released me and let his hand sag back to its original position on his knee. "Have to sleep… a little while longer. Until… sunset."

Bewildered I moved slightly so I was no longer right in his face, but stayed crouched down so I could study his features for clues. His hand had been very cold against my skin, and even though we w_ere_ in a basement it worried me. He clearly wasn't feeling well. And what on earth was up with everyone's fixation on sunset around here?!

His sickly pale face and the fact that I could hardly tell if he was breathing made me think that he was seriously, fatally ill. Wait… he didn't breathe _at all!_

It was in that moment, a fraction of a second before I was about to throw myself at him to provide CPR, that my brain decided to arrive at the party.

...Sleeps until sundown, pale, cold, doesn't breathe...

"Motherfucking FUCK!" I flew backwards and scrabbled away from him without taking my eyes off his unmoving form until the other end of the cage pressed against my back. The other end of the silver cage.

Oh, Mother of everything sacred, I was meant as a _snack!_ What on earth was wrong with those fanatics?! I mean, sure, they were crazy – that much _was_ established, but… why the hell did they keep a… a _pet vampire_ in a cage underneath their church?! _And why were they feeding him humans?!"_

I desperately searched the cage for _something_ to defend myself with, but as there hadn't been anything that could keep Gabe away there certainly was nothing to fend off a vampire with. There was only him, and me. And time.

I'd like to say that I spent the time calmly meditating about my life and afterlife, or came up with some brilliant scheme that would save me from being murdered in a pool of my own blood, but the only thing I was capable of doing was pressing my quivering body up against the metal bars, my arms wrapped around my knees while I stared intently at him for any sign that he was waking up, all the while breathing loudly and unattractively from the panic bubbling in my entire body.

It was both the longest and the shortest two hours of my life.

"You are rather loud."

The soft voice, which suddenly came from his otherwise unmoving lips, made the breath catch in my throat and my heart increase its beats per minute to about a million. At least.

His dark eyelashes flickered open and he easily turned around so he was facing me, without otherwise changing position. "I will not hurt you."

"You're a vampire!" Granted, it sounded rather accusatory, but come on... my nerves weren't exactly up for polite conversation.

His posture stiffened a touch. "And that of course means that I would harm you." He didn't sound sarcastic, just… somewhat defeated. As if he'd lost belief in life itself - or 'unlife', in his case – and like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

That tone took the edge off my fear: maybe he'd used that Glamouring trick I'd heard they could use on humans.

"Well," I defended myself. "I'm pretty sure I wasn't tossed in here to be your Bridge partner."

The faintest hint of a smile appeared on his youthful face. "Nevertheless will no harm come to you from my hands, little one."

He _seemed_ sincere, and his voice and face held a strange sort of tranquillity, which slowly eased my fear. It didn't disappear, mind you, but I could no longer hear my own pulse drumming away in my ears, which is always appreciated.

I wrinkled my forehead in confusion. "Are… are you not hungry?"

The young man's eyes briefly flickered to my knees, which had been scraped earlier when Gabe tossed me to the floor, before they found my green gaze. "Not insuperably."

"Oh, so they toss women in here on a regular basis?" It was meant to come out in a sarcastic tone, but it ended up sounding like a scared whimper.

Something briefly crossed his face, and I wasn't sure if it was a smile or a grimace. "You are the first." His voice was flat.

"Oh." I watched him warily for any signs that he might change his mind, or that he was just waiting for me to let my guard down, but he seemed happy just sitting in his relaxed position, watching me like I watched him, though with an expression of mild curiosity in his blueish-black eyes rather than mistrust.

I held his unblinking, focussed stare for what must have been a good half hour until it simply became too much. It wasn't just the fact that it was a vampire whose undivided attention I seemed to hold; I'd never felt particularly comfortable when being stared at by the opposite gender – even if they were a good 5-6 years younger than me. And this vampire… he had a youthful face, but he was definitely, er, _mature._ His loose, off-white linen shirt couldn't hide broad shoulders tapering into narrow hips or the top of what looked like a rather intricate tattoo. The sleeves were pushed up to reveal sinewy underarms and large, masculine hands.

"Do you always stare at people you've just met?" I finally snapped, when the silence and his gaze started to make me want to writhe in discomfort.

A crooked smile briefly ghosted over his lips, and there was a definite shimmer of provocation in those dark eyes. "When they have spent hours staring at me while I slept, yes. It is by the way a very bad idea to disturb a sleeping vampire…" He chuckled quietly, and I realised that I was probably pretty lucky that he didn't bite off my hand when I pried his eye open with my fingertips.

"I thought you were sick!" I grumbled defensively. "It hadn't dawned on me that they'd have a vampire locked up in the basement!"

"I appreciate your concern, little one." An amused expression remained on his features. "And your innocence."

I blushed crimson over the fact that he assumed I was an innocent. Did I look like a freakin' virgin to vampires? "You are rather patronising, for a teenager." This time the sarcasm was clear in my voice. "Do you always speak to adult women like this? And I'm _pretty_ sure I'm taller than you, so I don't know why you call me 'little one'."

For a moment his eyes widened comically in surprise. Then a hoarse, deep laugh – that would have gone straight to my ovaries if I hadn't been so upset with the whole situation - resonated from his chest.

"I am truly sorry to have offended you. " His laughter quieted, but his eyes kept an amused sparkle. "It was not my intent. If you will tell me your name I shall refer to you by it."

I was happy that I could amuse him. Really.

"Sophie. And you?"

"I am Godric," he simply stated.

"Godric." I couldn't stop myself from tasting the foreign-sounding name on my tongue. "Is that some sort of an artistic name? Do vampires have that?"

"An… artistic name?"

My brows furrowed. "Yeah, you know, like… Cher, or Prince. Something a person chooses as a stage name. "

His full, sculptured lips quivered once, but his voice was even when he replied. "No. It is the name I was given as a human."

Huh. I realised that he had a slight accent I'd never heard before. It was probably one of those names you never hear in English, but is common in other parts of the world.

I wondered if it was normal for vampires to immigrate.

And then, I realised that I had my first-ever, real vampire sitting across from me, and that this was a unique and guaranteed once-in-a-lifetime chance to ask about all the things that Nan Flannigan never seemed to cover when she appeared on TV as spokesperson for the VLA.

The golden opportunity made me completely forget the shitty situation I was in, and I eagerly leaned forward. "Godric?"

"Sophie?" My name carried on his soft voice was like an unexpected caress, and I blinked in surprise before mentally shaking it off me.

"May I… may I ask you some… questions?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Questions? What type of questions did you have in mind?"

A light rush of blood coloured my cheeks, because let's be honest – to ask a stranger about their personal habits is slightly transgressive. To ask a vampire somehow seemed worse.

"Uhm, you know, things about vampires. What it's like… and stuff," I finished, lamely.

Godric watched me silently for a moment and then inclined his head lightly in a single nod. "That would be acceptable. But I cannot promise that I will answer them all." He hesitated. "And in return I wish to ask you questions, too."

That seemed fair enough. "Alright. So…" I briefly considered what to ask him first and decided to start with something that seemed less likely to risk offending him. "Do you all sleep in coffins, or..?"

His sensitive mouth quivered lightly again. "It is not that common."

"Then what do you sleep in?"

"I prefer a bed."

I don't know what I'd expected, but it just sounded so... normal. "Huh. I thought you slept underground."

"It happens, depending on the situation, but then it is usually without anything but the dirt. My turn." He seemed to consider his question briefly. "Why did the Fellowship bring you to my cell? What crime have you committed?"

Oh, so he dived straight in then. I blew air out between my lips so my walnut coloured bangs wafted around my face. "I was reading a book at a café when one of them came up to my table and started talking about Salvation, saying that I was tarnishing my mind and was a disgrace to me species for reading such trash. And I was in the middle of this really good chapter, and I _hate_ being preached at, so I asked him to go fu… to leave me alone. They seemed to take it personally, because when I was on my way home from the café half an hour later these guys grabbed me and shoved me into a van. And now I'm here."

Godric frowned. "Which book was this?"

I gnawed on my lip and discretely glanced at my one, trainer-clad foot. "A fiction novel. About vampires."

"What is it called?" His eyebrows were still locked in a frown.

My cheeks heated slightly with shame. "Twilight."

He looked pensive for a moment, as if he was trying to recall the title. I prayed he didn't know it. Then his eyebrows straightened out and he looked a little surprised. "Is that the one with the sparkling vampires?"

"Yeah," I admitted, feeling somewhat judged for my choice in reading material when his nose scrunched up slightly, but at least he didn't laugh at me.

"So yeah, I was sentenced to death-by-vampire for my love of supernatural romance novels," I continued with a sigh. "Personally, I feel it's a tad harsh."

He smiled lightly at my phrasing, but it disappeared immediately again, and his expression became thoughtful and remote.

"Do you miss your family?"

He looked at a little quizzically at me.

"You know, your mum, dad... siblings… auntie? Or do you still keep in touch?"

Godric cocked his head slightly, and my inner artist suddenly craved pen and paper so I could draw him. The way the shadows played over his scarily handsome features practically begged to have his beauty depicted. It felt a little strange to think of a man as beautiful, but for Godric the word fit perfectly. He had definitely been at the very front of the line when they handed out looks.

"I do not miss them. " His voice was quiet. "They were a part of another life."

I frowned. "Does that mean a vampire has no interest in his or her human life after being Changed?"

His dark eyes considered me for a moment. "That is a question I cannot answer, Sophie. I do not know what it is like for other vampires."

Oh well, I suppose it made sense for things like that to be individual for every person.

"Why do you have ink smears on your arms?"

I blinked a couple of times, and lifted my arms out in front of me, twisting them so I could have a better look. Sure enough, a few ink smudges had avoided my attention the last time I washed my hands. "Oh, I was doing an ink drawing earlier and just didn't notice. I always have these sorts of weird spots and smudges in odd places after drawing or painting." I wetted a finger in my mouth and started rubbing on the offending smudges.

"You are an artist?"

I snorted. "I can dream! I've never sold anything so it's just a hobby. I work in a shop for a living. What about you? Do you have any hobbies?"

He looked a little perplexed, as if he'd never pondered the concept of a hobby. "I... read a lot, when I have the time. And people-watch. My work keeps me busy for most of my waken hours."

"What do you work with?" I looked up from the ink smudges, fascinated. I'd never really thought about vampires holding down jobs.

Instead of answering he gracefully got to his feet in one, swift motion, quicker than my eyes could follow, and stood with his face turned towards the door. "Someone is coming." His voice was quiet.

I got up, somewhat less elegantly, and waited with my hands wrapped around the bars. I couldn't hear anything before keys clanked on the other side, and the lock clicked open.

Three men entered, one of whom I unfortunately recognised as Gabe, the guy who'd manhandled me off the street and into the van earlier that day.

"Huh, you're still alive?" He sent me a calculating look before turning to the vampire. "What's the matter, Godric? She not to your tastes?"

The two other laughed loudly. Godric watched them calmly without answering.

"Oh well, suppose we best let you go the loo then."

I didn't like the sly look he was giving me, but I was pretty thirsty and could use a bathroom, so I ignored my sense of uncertainty and went over to the cage door.

The two goons following Gabe got a couple of what I can only describe as stake shooters, and lined up against the far wall, aiming at Godric, who stood with a tranquil expression, movement of any sort seeming far from his mind. Gabe grabbed a long silver chain before he started towards the cage.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I shrieked, bodily pressing myself in between the cage and Godric with my arms raised so I covered his figure with mine; I was actually taller than him, by a few inches, a corner of my mind noticed. "He's just a _boy!_"

"Ha! That 'boy' is a murderous monster! You can never be too careful with them sly beasts!" It was clear the three men took me for a raving loon. "And if it isn't tied up that door stays closed."

Godric stepped around me and reached his hands through the bars without touching them.

Gabe didn't waste time and immediately started wrapping the silver chain around his wrists. Smoke rose from his pale skin where red, bubbling welts formed. He hissed in pain and turned his head away, but stood still and let the man continue to wrap his forearms in layers of silver.

When he was done Gabe unlocked the cage and pulled me out by my wrist.

I tried to stop the tears forming in my eyes from overflowing while I was yanked out of the room. How _could_ they! He hadn't even tried to fight them.

I was led to a small bathroom by Gabe, where I did my business and then proceeded to drink from the tap by the sink until I was no longer thirsty. I straightened up to be led back to the cage so Godric could be released from the silver, but Gabe had other ideas.

Without warning he fisted his hand in my long, tangled hair, and I screamed from shock and pain, which was then repeated when he slammed me face-first against the wall and then proceeded to press his body against my back so I was trapped between his weight and the tiles. I tried to fight him as best I could, but physically I was far out of my league, and all I managed was to kick his shin once, before he had me completely immobilised.

"We'll need to make you more delectable – it's not fair that a dead man won't have a last meal, hm?", he hissed in my ear, and suddenly cold steel bit into my chest. I screamed shrilly, and tears spurted from my eyes when he cut a long, burning gash from one shoulder across my chest, but he didn't stop there. He moved the knife up under my dress and sliced the waistband of my panties so they slid down, and I felt the blade bite into the inner side of my thighs, way up against my groin.

"Fangers like to drink from here," he whispered nastily while I cried against the wall from fear and pain. I could feel his hardness against my lower back and was very scared of what was to come.

"When it's done sucking your blood, but before you pass out, it'll fuck ya good. They like fucking after dinner, you know." He licked my ear and laughed when I cringed away from him, but instead of lifting my skirt up and raping me he pulled me, by the hair, out of the bathroom.

I fought to keep my dress up while I staggered after him – he'd sliced one of the straps when he cut my chest – and my feet were naked against the stone floor as I had lost both shoes at some point during my struggle against him.

He dragged me down the stairs to the basement and into the room, where a deep snarling sound filled the air. The two guards with stake shooters were visibly shaking, and I automatically swallowed a clump of pure fear; it was a primal sound, and 100% predatory.

Godric. The sound came from Godric.

His completely black eyes were focussed on Gabe, his fangs were fully extended, and though it only seemed to make them burn deeper into his flesh he was straining against the silver chains in an effort to get free. He most definitely did not look like a boy at that moment in time.

"Here ya go! Perhaps she looks tastier now!" And with that I was shoved into the cage with enough force to land on my hands and knees again, opening up the scabbed-over scrapes from before.

I scrambled around on the floor trying to regain my balance without losing the grip on my dress, and staggered to my feet in the corner farthest from the men and Godric.

And then Gabe cut the silver chain with a long set of cutting pliers, and the three left the room and locked the door.

Petrified I stared at Godric, who was as immobile and rigid as if he was cut from marble, still with the now loose chain wrapped multiple times around his wrists.

A deep growl emanated from him in unceasing waves.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

_**Author's Note:**__ Thank you so much for every follow, favourite and review! It is very much appreciated._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**2**

"G-Godric?" I stammered, taking a hesitant step towards him. If I could get the silver chain off him maybe he'd stop making that noise that made every single hair on my body stand up like I was some sort of frightened cat.

"No!" The voice was coarse, a stark contrast to his otherwise silky tone, making it obviously clear that he was in no small amount of pain. "Do not get close!"

I tightened my lips decisively. "Don't be foolish – you can't just keep standing there, frying away. Hold your breath." And with as much courage as I had yet mustered in my entire life, combined, I approached the growling vampire on jellified legs.

To his praise it should be noted that he actually _held_ his breath, when he wasn't hissing in pain, while I started the slow process of removing the long chain from his wrists and arms without yanking off too much of his flesh in the process. I can honestly say that it was the grossest thing I'd done in my entire life, but the fear of suddenly having a vampire attached to my throat did great things to soothe the nausea roiling in my stomach. It's the small victories that matter.

When I was – finally – done I turned to face him, and swallowed hard at his black eyes, which were now glued to my bloodied chest. He stood so close to me that my breath ghosted over his short hair as he bent over my chest.

I hadn't been able to keep my dress strap up while I worked, which was a silly detail to worry about, because Godric wasn't staring at my breasts. I backed away slowly – and he, thankfully, stayed where he was, frozen.

"I didn't think you were hungry?" My voice was shrill.

He flexed his hands and tore his gaze from my blood. For the longest moment he stood completely still, apart from his flexing hands. Finally, he managed to look at me, at my face.

"I underestimated it some." He groaned when his eyes automatically slid down to the gash on my chest again.

Fresh tears began leaking from my eyes as I realised that there was only so much self-control left in this vampire. "I don't want to die." It came out in a croak.

Pain, that had nothing to do with his wounds or hunger, burned in his black eyes. Then he closed them and turned his back to me. "Help is coming," he whispered after a short moment. He sounded defeated.

"W-what do you mean?"

He didn't answer, and I assumed he had good reasons not to want to talk more than he absolutely had to, so I leaned against the cage and tried not to focus too much on the blood that slowly seeped down my thighs to the floor, and coloured my chest and ruined dress. My green eyes found his back, and I focussed on the tattoo just peeping out over his collar, wondering what it was meant to signify, in an attempt to distract myself from the rather dire situation.

After about fifteen minutes he moved, and the thought that his patience had finally ended made my heart race with fear. But he not as much as glanced in my direction.

"Down here, Child. I am here." His voice was clear.

Before I could open my mouth to ask who in the name of the Goddess he was talking to, the door burst into a thousand splinters and we were no longer alone in the room.

"Godric." The new arrival was staring at the dark-haired teenager as if he was Jesus reborn.

Godric sighed softly. "Eric, my son."

Son? The tall, blonde vampire both looked like he was older and stronger than the young man I'd shared a cell with. Had to be a vampire-thing.

Eric sneered at the silver cage – which did nothing to calm my heart's spastic rhythm – before he yanked a large, wooden cabinet off the wall and slammed it against the silver bars so both broke into pieces around us with a giant bang.

Godric calmly stepped out over the broken bars and boards, and the blonde – Eric – fell to his knees in front of him. The dark-haired looked down at him, but from my angle behind what was still left of the cage I couldn't see his facial expression. Eric's was filled with confusion and worry. "When have you last eaten?"

"Too long ago, it appears. Sophie."

I crept forward, careful not to step on any splinters with my bare feet or slip in my own blood.

Eric's head shot in my direction and his nostrils flared, probably as he smelled my blood. He stood up with the same grace as a feline and stared intently at me for a moment, no doubt I order to find the reason why Godric hadn't stilled his hunger when he had a handy snack available. His face, when he looked back at Godric – this time from his impressive height – confirmed my thought; complete disbelief was edged into his features.

Godric placed his hand on his bicep for a short moment. "Bring her to the nest. Safely." And then he was out the door in a blurred 'swoosh'.

Eric looked at the door for a few seconds before he was suddenly standing in front of me. I managed a short shriek, and then he had me in his arms, bridal style. Immediately, the world started blurring past us faster than my terrified eyes and brain could follow.

I screamed until my hair was whipped into my mouth by the wind and I nearly choked on it. After that, I buried my head in the Viking-type's shoulder until the trip was over and I was sat down on the doorstep of a house I was too close by to see properly, but it seemed looming and grand.

"You sure are a noisy little breather, aren't you?" Eric's voice was an irritable growl. With a hand on my shoulder he opened the door and pulled me with him inside.

I just managed to perceive that we'd entered a large hall filled with people speaking amongst themselves in irate tones, before everything went quiet – drop a pin and hear it land quiet –and all attention was on us.

Or rather, _me._

I saw several nostrils flare, and my eyes widened in fear. Oh, _great!_ A room filled with vampires, and here I was, bleeding all over the marble floor.

A light snarl sounded from Eric's throat. "She is Godric's." His hand on my shoulder pressed me forward and forced me to walk through the vampire herd (Pride? Flock?). He led me through long hallways and finally, after typing in a code on a very high-tech looking keypad, into a luxurious bedroom kept in dark, muted tones.

"Wait here."

And then I was alone.

What on Earth?! What the _hell_ had happened in my life during the past 14 or so hours?! _How_ did I manage to end up in a vampire nest, bleeding and miserable? I, who never had as much as seen a vampire before today! Just my fabulous luck, that's what had happened.

My legs wobbled and I looked around for a place to sit down. Unfortunately, the only place seemed to be the bed, which was covered in what looked like white silk sheets, and I highly doubted that it would be easy to get my blood out of them again. Sadly, that was just tough shit; I staggered over and sat down heavily, grimacing as pain cursed through me thanks to the wounds on my inner thighs. Nope, did not have a good tolerance for pain.

My thoughts briefly concerned themselves with ways of getting home, but besides not having any idea about where I was, I also didn't have any cell phone or money with me, so hiring a cap was out of the question. Any thoughts of calling the police – from a house phone – disappeared when I considered that the resident vampires probably weren't too keen on human law enforcement. Besides, the idea of trying to sneak through the vampire-infested house, on my own, seemed less than appealing, even if I had been able to walk without wobbling.

So, I sat there, staring straight ahead, feeling miserable, while I waited for whatever the vampires had planned for me. Again, my life had not exactly taken a turn for the better in the past day.

Surprisingly little time passed before the door opened.

My head flew up and I saw Godric, who was closing the door behind him before giving me an investigative glance.

His eyes were the colour of mercury, rather than pitch black, and he didn't look like he was fighting himself in order to not rip out my throat – a vast improvement, in my eyes. The wounds on his forearms were nowhere to be seen, leaving his skin looking like smooth marble.

"I think I need to go to the hospital." My voice sounded rather pitiful.

Godric shook his head. "No, little one. This will help you a lot quicker."

I looked questioningly at him, and he sighed lightly before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Vampire blood has strong, healing abilities. Come." He scooted further back on the bed, spread his legs and lifted my easily by the hips so I suddenly sat between his thighs, his hard chest pressed against my back. I squeaked belatedly in surprise.

"Shh." His left arm wound gently but firmly around my waist, followed by a sharp _click _behind my ear, and when his right arm came into my focal point, dark, red blood was dripping from his wrist. "One lick will be sufficient."

_?!_

_Eeeeeeeewwwwe!_

"Errrr..." My heart pounded from the intimate situation as much as from the thought of drinking someone else's blood. "I think I prefer some iodine…"

He chuckled softly into my ear. "Come, little one, drink. I promise, you will feel much better for it." And without further discussion he lifted the bleeding wrist to my lips.

Hesitantly, and mostly because I realised that I probably wasn't getting out of this increasingly awkward situation without doing so, I tentatively stuck out my tongue and let the tip glide over a few drops. I blinked when my taste buds exploded with sensation, and heat shot from my mouth to the rest of my body. It tasted…

"Again," he ordered from behind me.

Quite a bit more willingly this time I licked the entire width of his wrist.

Oh, Goddess, it tasted like wild, dark, fantastic...! I bent my head to deepen my mouth's contact with his skin, but he gently freed himself.

"That is enough." He loosened his arm from my waist and pulled away so he could sit next to me, on the other side of the blood smears my thighs had made on his pristine bedding. "If I give you more you will become intoxicated."

A pleasant, prickling sensation in my lips made me smile wide and happily. "Intoxicated?"

"Vampire blood works like a drug for some humans." He watched me closely. "How do you feel?"

"Fantastic!" I exclaimed. I couldn't remember ever feeling better, not to speak of that wonderful sensation of lightness and happiness flowing through my body like waves in the ocean. And my _vision_ – I could see better, sense more clearly… his eyes watched me take everything in with calmness in the silvery blue depths. I could distinguish little flecks of sapphire blue in his irises and leant in closer to scrutinise them. "Didn't you have dark eyes?"

The slight twitch of the muscles around his eyes was the only thing that indicated a reaction on his face. "The pupils dilate when we are hungry."

That thought sobered me somewhat, and I gulped over the indication. "D-did you eat… someone?"

He got up from the bed and walked over to a door that turned out to hide a big walk-in closet. "We have donor blood on storage." After disappearing into the closet for a second he returned with a dark grey shirt and a pair of white pants folded neatly over one arm.

Careful to keep his gaze on my face he handed them to me. "You can change in the adjoining bathroom."

It was in that moment that I realised the state of my dress and slapped a hand up in front of my semi-exposed breast. There was no pain, and the skin was as good as new underneath my fingers. Huh, that vampire blood sure did work swiftly. I mumbled a 'thank you', took the clothes from him and trudged over to the door he'd indicated hid the bathroom.

When I saw my reflection in the mirror a horrified and involuntary shriek escaped me; I looked like something that had crawled out of a grave, with blood smeared all over my body, a dried-tears-and-snot covered face and hair that stuck out in all directions like on some banshee – probably a combined result of Gabe's hair pulling tendencies and the trip back with Eric.

I got out of my ruined dress and bra and washed my body and face free of bodily fluids in the sink, and I would have used toilet paper to dry myself off with so I didn't ruin the expensive looking, perfectly pressed handtowels, but there was a distinct lack of such a human necessity. With a sigh and a silent apology to Godric for ruining yet more of his linen I grabbed one of the towels and started drying myself off. Not much could be done about the hair, but I attempted to comb it through with my fingers and smooth it down with my hands. The result was somewhat more 80's diva and less zombie bride, so I guess it was some improvement.

Finally, I turned to face the clothing. The shirt, which was of excellent quality linen and had an Armani mark in the neck - because apparently, the kid had too much money -, was no problem. It smelled like the crisp night air, and I caught myself sniffing the collar while I buttoned it up.

The pants, on the other hand… The pants I got to mid-thigh height before they stubbornly refused to move another inch.

Oh, crap. Goddamn round hips!

I let the pants drop to the floor and glanced down over myself. The shirt _just_ covered my private parts, but if I took even a single step, modesty would not be on my side.

Annoyed I kicked them away and walked over to the door, which I proceeded to crack open just enough to pop my head around it, with my lower body hidden from view. "Godric? Do you have some other pants?"

He got up from the bed, where he seemed to have been sat absentmindedly fiddling with the sheet. "Yes?"

"A pair with an elasticated waist..." I sighed.

His brows furrowed and he disappeared back into the closet. Moments later he stepped out, empty handed. "If you can wait for a moment I shall send someone out to buy something suitable. What size do you wear?" He moved towards the door leading out of the room.

"Wait!" How incredibly embarrassing to have to send someone out on a night-time shopping trip because my arse was too big. "That's really not necessary. Don't you have some boxer shorts or something like that?" And why the hell didn't he have some sweatpants? I mean, undead or not, you can't _not_ have an ugly pair of comfy sweatpants.

With supernatural _vampspeed_ he disappeared into his closet for a third time, only to stand right in front of me a maximum of two seconds later, a piece of dark blue silk in his hand.

"Thanks." I grabbed the offered garment from him without commenting on how much his sudden appearance right in my face scared the living daylights out of me, before disappearing behind the closed bathroom door again.

The thick silk fabric was pulled taut over my rear-end and thighs in a way it definitely wasn't intended to, but at least I'd managed to pull the somewhat reluctant waistband up over my hips. With a shuddering last glance at myself in the mirror I stepped out of the bathroom, ruined clothes over one arm.

"Do you have somewhere I can toss this out?" I enquired the vampire, who once again was sat on the edge of the bed.

"I will take care of it later." Godric patted the bed. "Just put it down here for now."

I obeyed, somewhat uncomfortable over the fact that he'd indicated the blood smears I'd left when I sat down earlier. "I'm really sorry I've ruined your bedding."

He looked at me with a slight hint of surprise. "Hm? Do not concern yourself with that. Come, sit down please. I would like to talk to you."

I carefully sat down on the other side of the smear and my pile of ruined clothing. "Okay?"

His intense, mercury eyes caught mine. "Why on Earth did you get in between me and those men with stakes?"

Surprised, I blinked; he sounded somewhat angry. "I dunno, isn't it a pretty normal reaction?"

He stared at me with an inscrutable expression for a long moment before speaking in a soft tone. "No, Sophie. It is not a normal reaction for a human to seek to protect a vampire with her own body."

I shrugged. "Huh. I'd do it every time. I can't stand when people try to harm someone weaker than themselves."

Godric blinked three times in rapid succession before he squinted ever so slightly at me. "You think I am incapable of protecting myself?"

Oh lovely, had I managed to hurt his male pride?

"I'm sure you're a lot stronger than humans, normally: I mean, you're a vampire, but… in this particular situation… I mean, they had you in a cage," I attempted reasoning.

His full lips twitched slightly. "They had both of us in a cage." A long, cool finger was placed underneath my chin. "Never, _ever_ do that again."

I stared into the depths of his eyes and felt a slight blush creep into my face, courtesy of his close presence. _'Just a teenager, just a teenager'_, I silently chanted.

"Well, I can't promise that," I admitted, and gently but adamantly removed his finger from my chin with a hand. "In the unlikely case that we'd find ourselves in a similar situation again I'd do the exact same thing."

His eyes narrowed a touch more, and I swallowed nervously when the slightest reminder of the predator from earlier that evening appeared on his features. "I am far, far stronger than you. Faster, more durable. I appreciate the gesture more than you can imagine, but you are too _fragile _for that kind of games."

"And yet I can touch a silver bracelet without sizzling like a chemical fire," I snarked, before I got my slight annoyance over his patronising attitude under control.

His deep, unexpected laugh filled the room, causing me to resume my chanting.

The laughter was still evident in his eyes when he looked into mine with an intense curiosity, as if he was searching for a missing piece of a complicated puzzle. The silence stretched between us until I could no longer sit still and started to nervously twitch about.

He sighed softly. "You must be tired. I have a guestroom ready, if you would like to sleep here. A chauffeur can take you home when you wake up."

Sleep in a house filled with vampires? Uh, thanks, but no thanks.

"I'd like to go home to sleep, if that is possible?"

The young man nodded briefly. "Of course."

I got up from the bed. "Godric?"

He looked at me, silently waiting for me to continue.

"Thank you for… for everything." I giggled inappropriately. "And for not eating me."

A small smile touched his lips before he was standing by my side, a hand on the doorknob. "You have nothing to thank me for, little one… Sophie." He added the last bit after a glance at my scrunched up forehead when he once again called me 'little'.

There was a brief, awkward pause while I waited for him to open the door. He seemed to be contemplating something, but must have decided against it, because in the next moment he was leading me down the hallway, his hand lightly on the small of my back.

Once again, the hall, where a handful of vampires still milled around, went quiet as a grave when I entered.

Blood rushed to my cheeks due to the eyes glued to my less-than-fashionable appearance, and I looked straight down to the floor on my bare feet's progress across the marble.

"Aleric, drive Miss Sophie wherever she wishes, and make sure she gets home safely." There was just a hint of emphasis on 'safely'.

"Yes, Sheriff."

I forced myself to lift my head up to say goodbye to the vampire boy, and was surprised when his cool lips ghosted over my cheek and he gently grabbed both my hands. "Goodbye, Sophie. It has truly been an honour." His bluegrey eyes suddenly made him seem much older – or, (probably more likely) my hormones were playing tricks on me.

"I'd like to say that it's been a pleasure..," I joked awkwardly.

He chuckled and let go of my hands with a light squeeze, and I turned around and followed Aleric out the door.

It wasn't until I sat in the backseat of the expensive-looking Lexus on my way home that I thought to wonder why Aleric had called him sheriff – or why he took orders from him at all.

However, when I got home I was way too drained of energy to ponder on it any further, and I went straight to bed with every intention of staying there for the foreseeable future.

* * *

_He came to me from the darkness. I opened my eyes, but everything was still as black around me as it had been when they were closed. And yet I knew; I knew he was there, watching me. Needing me._

_I shut my eyes tightly again, letting a hand caress up my stomach to an already erect nipple, moaning softly at the touch, inviting him to leave the shadows._

"_Shh, little one," a whisper brushed over my skin, sending goose bumps down my flesh. "I am here."_

_My hand fell limply to my side, only to be replaced by ghostlike caresses across my abdomen, ribs, the underside of my breasts, up over my shoulders and down my arms. His touch was cold, but it lit a fire that burned deeper than the skin he was barely touching. The heat took over my flesh, and when his lips and tongue started tracing patterns down the sides of my torso it incinerated my bones. I whimpered with need._

_And then he was gone._

"_Godric?" I tried to sit up, but the flames in my body immobilised me. "Godric!"_

_A gust of wind graced over my body, and then heated chills tickled through my left leg, from the foot and up, up… When it reached the knee it stopped, only to start over on my right leg._

_Slowly, oh so horribly slow, the sensation inched up my legs, alternating sides, starting over. I couldn't feel the touch of his skin against mine, but oh, I could feel him! By the time the ghostly tendrils reached mid-thigh I was soaking wet and burning up from the inside._

"_Godric, please… oh, please!" I begged my shadow lover, trying to will him to my core. I _knew_ that his touch there would finally set me free._

_I nearly died when his cool breath blew over my heated centre, so intense was the need wracking my body._

"_Please!"_

"_If I do this, you will be mine," his dark voice taunted from somewhere above me._

"_Please, Godric!" was all I managed to gasp. I needed him, needed to be his._

"_Sophie."_

"Please!_"_

_A short second of nothingness, and then…_

_His tongue brushed deeply up the length of my slit before his mouth closed hotly around the centre of my nerves. And then his fangs sunk into my flesh, releasing the heat within me in a flood of pleasure._

I woke panting and soaking in sweat, with the sheets tangled around my legs and a hand between my thighs.

Without pausing for even a second I blindly reached into my bedside drawer and grabbed my vibrator.

Good Goddess, that dream was _way_ too real, especially for something that weird! I writhed frantically on my bed for what felt like hours, without being able to fully satisfy my need for _him_, though not for lack of trying.

Finally I gave up and just lay there, moaning from discomfort and sheer exhaustion. Maybe I could drive over to him? After the trip home last night I had a decent idea about where he lived, and if I just _threw_ myself at him, maybe the element of surprise would be enough to get him to agree to…

A whimper slipped past my even-fuller-than-normal lips when I realised that he wouldn't be awake before after sunset.

_That_ thought cooled me down enough to remember my _'Teenager, he's a teenager, a teenager, _teenager!_'_ chant. It was funny how my brain suddenly decided to remember him as a man, in an effort to sabotage me. Hilarious, in fact.

Exceedingly frustrated I clambered out of bed in search for my jogging clothes.

* * *

The long, hard jog thankfully cooled my libido down enough that I, sometime after lunch, was horrified over the morning's plans to hunt him down for mindless sex. I was, on the other hand, sorry I didn't get his phone number so I could have tried pestering him into modelling for me. A man – _boy_ - that beautiful would have been a fantastic experience to draw. And maybe I'd have been able to question him more about vampires.

I sighed. Oh well, I'd had more time with him than I'd ever imagined I'd have with a vampire, thanks to the Fellowship of the Sun. The irony was not lost on me.

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Can't have a blood-drinking scene without the expected, naughty dream to follow. It's a classic for a reason._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's & HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**3**

It took three weeks before the sex dreams cooled down enough in intensity for me to actually get some proper rest once in a while, a month more after that before I could doze off without being guaranteed to have one, and two months after _that_ before they started to feel more like dreams rather than confusing, X-rated reality.

When I met Godric again it had been more than half a year since the events at the Fellowship of the Sun, and the dreams had pretty much been MIA from my nightly, subconscious cinema listing for about a month.

* * *

My colleagues at the New Age shop I'd been working at since I arrived in Dallas eight months earlier had decided that it was time for us all to have a 'company outing', consisting of a night on the town. So a Friday night in early November I was sat in a stereotypical 'fantasy metal bar' filled with people dressed primarily in black, accompanied by my boss Dennis and the two other shop attendants, Skye and River (Yeah, I know, but as I mentioned, I worked in a New Age shop; these things gotta be expected), chatting away about Skye's newest tattoo, the weird customers we encountered in the shop and other normalities.

I've never been that good at letting people get close to me – something relating to my constant 'moving-state' tendencies as well as some suppressed abandonment issues from my childhood, which I actively and deliberately ignored, because I'm smart like that – and therefore I didn't have any close friends. I could, however, small talk like a mother-fucker, which is a skill that'd been necessary for me to develop in order to deal with the little human weakness that is the need for some level of social interaction.

And so I was in the middle of a, if I may say so myself, rather funny parody of a customer I'd helped that same day, who looked like she'd stepped directly out of one of the Harry Potter novels, when River and Skye simultaneously uttered something that closest resembled a weird cross between a lengthy sigh and a _wail_, all the while staring at the entrance to the bar_._

"Now what?" Realising that I'd lost my captive audience I twisted my torso around to see if I could spot what'd made their ovaries start tangoing on the table.

"If he is a vampire I'd let him taste me," River sighed longingly, while Skye continued to make noises not produced by her brain.

And I... I croaked unattractively in surprise, which seemed to catch his attention.

Mercury eyes locked in mine before he started moving his lithe body towards our table.

I flew out of the booth, a giant smile plastered on my face. "Godric!"

He stopped in front of me and answered my overenthusiastic grin with a small smile. "Sophie."

And this was where my smalltalking abilities chose to get off the bus – and _he_ seemed content to just stand there, looking at me with that intense vampire stare, which of course made me uncomfortable after a few minutes.

"So, uh… you pub-crawl?" my brain finally managed, after an awkwardly long period of complete, conversational silence, enthusiastically overseen by my colleagues.

The corner of his mouth crept up just a fraction more. "I would not go that far. And yourself?"

I suddenly remembered that we weren't alone. "Oh, I'm here with my colleagues. Won't you please join us?"

His eyes briefly flickered to the table. "I do not wish to interrupt."

It was at that moment that Skye seemed to regain the ability to form actual words. "Oh, you disturb _nothing!_" she chirped, scooting over so there was room on the bench next to her. "Come, sit! It's always great fun to meet Sophie's friends!"

They'd never met any of my friends, mainly because I didn't have any, but I couldn't really blame the girl; she was clearly smitten.

Godric shot me a questioning glance, and I nodded enthusiastically.

"In that case I would be happy to join you. Excuse me for a moment, please." He turned around and disappeared up to the bar, and I sat back down at the table.

"_How_ do you know him?!" Both Skye and River, who sat on the other side of the table from Dennis and me, eagerly leaned in. "He _is_ a vampire, right? And... is he your… boyfriend, or something like that?"

I snorted appealingly and shook my head at them before taking a sip from my Jack D & Coke. "Yeah, he's a vampire and no, in no way, shape or form is he my boyfriend. I haven't seen him for like half a year. .." I stopped talking when Godric eased himself down between River and Skye to the –suddenly – only available seat at our table. Smooth, girls.

He put a bottle of TruBlood down on the table. O negative, I noticed.

"Godric, this is Dennis, Skye and River," I introduced. "My colleagues. Guys, this is Godric."

And that seemed to be all the encouragement my colleagues needed in order to start bombarding him with every possible question known to man. Apparently, he seemed much less intimidating when you weren't bleeding and locked in a cage with him. Even Dennis, whom I'd expected to partake in my eye rolling over our female colleagues, was deeply fascinated by the immortal, so I spent the time watching Godric politely answering, or smoothly avoiding, the rapid fire session of questioning, while I sipped my drink. - It should be pointed out that his manners were impeccable; _my_ patience would have worn out after just half an hour of the questioning and the not-particularly-well-disguised flirting.

The evening ended when Skye – who, in her defence, was rather drunk at the time – cheerily put a hand on Godric's bicep, squeezing lightly, and suggested that he should come with "everyone" to a nightclub.

The vampire froze under her touch, and I felt a second's worth of fear for my colleague when a memory of Godric's black eyes and deep snarl flickered in my mind. It was easy to ignore that the young man at our table had a different nature than humans, beneath the layer of courtesy and manners.

"Actually, I think I'll go home," I interjected, getting up from the table with an apologetic grimace. "I'm completely wiped."

Godric gracefully got up from his seat. "Let me take you home, Sophie."

I assumed he needed an excuse to hightail it, so I gave him an appreciative smile. "Thanks, that would be great. You never know what lurks out there." I winked, causing a low chuckle to emanate from his chest. "I'll see you next week!" I waved at the table as Skye blew a silent raspberry at me from behind Godric's back.

We exited the pub and went out in the street crawling with happy, drunk people. I led the vampire about a block away before I stopped and turned to him with a teasing smile. "Alright, the girls aren't following us so you should be safe. You don't actually have to walk me all the way home – it's pretty far."

"I would nevertheless like to."

Huh.

"Okay then, but don't complain to me if your feet start to hurt," I teased, as we continued walking.

His hoarse laughter made my already-present smile bigger. "You did not listen when I explained about the vampire's more sturdy physique?"

My expression fell a tad, and I stole a glance at his face. "I'm sorry they bombarded you like that. It's not that easy for us regular people to get a hold of a vampire who's willing to sate our curiosity. Most of us only learn about vampires from Nan Flannigan when she appears on TV, and I think it's safe to say that she leaves out the juicy bits."

"I am not insulted, Sophie." His face became pensive. "I wonder if more openness would help decrease the hatred for my species."

"Humans fear what we don't understand. And we tend to hate what we fear," I agreed. "But your patience _is_ very impressive."

He shot me a long, side way look but didn't comment, and we walked in silence until the alcohol in my blood eventually gave me enough courage to ask: "So, Godric… does vampire blood have any… side-effects?"

The way he stole a glance at me from under his dark eyelashes made me suspect that he was fully aware of what I was referring to.

"There can be some, yes. What exactly depends on the blood and the receiver," he answered vaguely. "Do you still feel any… effects?"

I decidedly shook my head, thankful that I hadn't run into him while the dreams still plagued me (yes, _plagued_), because then I would never have been able to supress the hefty blush I felt trying to overtake my face now. "And it is actually really annoying," I sighed dramatically.

Godric's eyebrows shot up in what I assume was surprise. "Oh?"

"I didn't need foundation for _months!_ It was amazing!"

He chuckled.

"Seriously, though. You could market that stuff in the beauty industry." I wasn't serious at all.

His smile withered. "Sophie, you can _never_ accept vampire blood from a dealer. The punishments are… severe."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm not completely retarded; _everyone_ knows what happens if a vampire finds out you've been doing V."

He watched me intently, as if to make certain that I really knew how serious it was. "That does not mean that there is not a flourishing market for it."

I shrugged; he was probably right about that. "Drugs have never really been my thing; I don't even drink that often."

We continued walking in silence for a bit until I remembered a question I'd wondered about ever since he sent me home from his house that night half a year ago.

"Godric?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do the other vampires call you 'sheriff'?"

He thrust his hands into the pockets of his canvas trousers in an oddly human gesture. "It is what we call the vampire in charge of the local area."

So he _was _boss.

I glanced at his youthful face. "You are older than you look, aren't you?"

The corner of his mouth quivered. "Yes."

I noisily blew out air, causing my bangs and the strands framing my face to shift. "That is pretty difficult to relate to."

"I can imagine. We have another way than humans of judging age."

"Length of fangs?" I suggested with a grin.

His laughter rumbled in the air around us. "Charisma."

I contemplated him through narrowed eyes, trying to sense something that would reveal his age. "Hmm… Thirty… seven?"

"No."

"I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to reveal the final number, but he didn't bite.

...

"C'mon, _how_ old are you, oh wise one?"

An uncharacteristic smirk graced his sculptured lips for a moment, lending a downright wicked look to his features. "Older than you, little one."

I made a crude sound, which brought back his laughter. "And how old am I, then?"

"Twenty four," was the immediate answer.

Huh, that age-telling trick vampires used was apparently spot on.

"Yeah well, I'm still taller than you," I sulked, sounding all kinds of mature.

"I'm stronger," he retaliated, and I laughed at his teasing tone.

"Only because you cheat."

"And faster."

"Pth! Well, I can eat chocolate ice cream, so I win!"

His nose crinkled up as if it wasn't something to envy.

"I'd die without Haagen Dazs Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream; it's nothing to turn your nose up at!"

His greyblue eyes sparkled mischievously. "I'm already dead."

"I'm really not sure that that is an argument that can win this discussion," I tartly pointed out.

Godric chuckled. "You are amusing when you are intoxicated."

"You laughed at me when I was locked up and sure I'd get eaten alive too," I replied curtly. "That actually doesn't say anything particularly nice about your character."

He sent me a gentle smile. "That is true."

Something in my stomach region melted.

"Godric..?"

"Sophie?"

"Are you _really_ older than me?"

"Is it important?"

Only if I didn't stop having perverted thoughts about him.

"I suppose not."

The quiet settled between us for a while. To my surprise he was the one to break it this time.

"Were you raised in Dallas?"

I shook my head.

"Where, then?"

"Louisiana."

He must have caught on to the fact that I didn't want to talk about it, because he changed the subject.

"What is, in your opinion, the best part about being human?"

"Haagen Dazs Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream," was my immediate reply.

His smile was expectant, and I began thinking of a proper answer. It took me quarter of an hour -something I should probably reflect on at some point.

"Warmth."

"Hm," he grunted pensively.

"What is the best thing about being an immortal, then?" I inquired curiously.

His eyes became distant, and there were a few seconds silence. "Eric." His voice was gentle.

I had somehow imagined that he'd choose something like super speed or, well, immortality. Remembering the Nordic god who'd gotten us out of the church and behaved like Godric was the Second Coming I asked: "Is he your… boyfriend?"

"Eric and I are many things for each other. Lovers is not one of them," was his cryptic reply.

I sent him an annoyed glance from out the corner of my eye for not just answering bluntly, which he either didn't see or simply ignored.

"And you?" he suddenly asked. "Do you have a lover?"

I blinked uncomfortably. Hm, the alcohol was apparently wearing off. Damn that crisp November air. "No."

"Why not?"

What the hell sort of question was that?

"It hasn't really been a priority," I deflected.

"Why not?" he repeated. Stubborn bastard.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I prefer to be alone."

He studied me for a moment. "The subject makes you uncomfortable." It was a statement of fact, not a question.

Rolling my eyes I huffed at him. "Of course! It is pretty personal."

"I am sorry. I am no longer as familiar with humans' social norms as I ought to be. It was not my intent to make you uncomfortable."

His sincerity touched me. "That's alright; it's not really worse than when I less-than-subtly asked you if you were homosexual."

"You didn't; you asked me if Eric was my lover," he pointed out.

Well, son of a..

"_Are_ you..?"

Godric shot me a mildly provoking glance. "I did not think that that was polite to ask..?"

My succeeding scowl only made him laugh.

We reached the top of my road and I remembered something that I had desperately wanted to ask him ever since I saw him for the first time.

"Will you model for me?" I blurted it out with quite a bit less deliberation than I could have wished for.

His eyebrows rose. "Model?"

"Yeah, you know, because I draw quite a bit and… I'd really love to draw your features," I hastily scrambled to explain. "It would just be facial portraits." Probably more chance of a yes if I made it clear that I wasn't hoping for nude posing…

He considered me for a moment, his head cocked to one side. "Could we continue talking while you did this?"

I lit up. "Yes, of course, as long as you sit somewhat still during. Uh, but I'm too tired to be creative tonight so it'd have to be another time?"

Godric looked delighted, which made me feel all warm; it wasn't just me who'd enjoyed our conversation.

"In that case yes, I will model for you, little one."

I beamed a bright smile at him. "Great! When do you have time to stop by?"

His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I have a couple of hours free after sunset tomorrow. How long would it take?"

"We can interrupt and pick up again as many times as needed." My answer was purposely noncommittal; I was planning on getting as much pencil time out of his face as possible. "So tomorrow is perfect." I stopped in front of my small, one-bedroom rented house. "This is me."

"I will come by tomorrow?" he confirmed as he turned to face me.

I nodded and smiled. "Thank you for walking me home."

"You should not be walking home alone after dark." His voice was as sombre as when he had warned me against ever touching V.

I sensed a conversation like the one we'd had after I got in the way of the stakes at the Fellowship of the Sun under way. "I normally drive, but I knew I would be drinking, and the bus doesn't run this late."

He didn't seem particularly satisfied but refrained from further discussion, so I went ahead and ended the night before he thought of anything else to say on the subject. "Goodnight Godric. See you tomorrow."

The vampire nodded briefly. "Goodnight Sophie."

He stayed in front of my house until I'd gotten in and locked the door behind me. Such a gentleman.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's & HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_Thanks a ton for all the feedback - y'all making me into a complete review whore. (And I love it)_

_I should probably clarify that this fic will not really follow the timeline from the show, but I will be borrowing and/or rewriting a plotline here and there, so don't be too confused if things happen out of order compared to the show._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**4**

I spent most of the next day attempting to clean my house to a somewhat-representable state (it would never be _proper_ tidy; I simply didn't have the drive to make it appear like something out of a 'Better Living' type magazine) and driving to the nearest, larger supermarket about 30 minutes away, where I could be certain that they stocked TruBlood. This, coincidently, led to quite a few stares directed at my neck.

Nope, not a fangbanger, people, just a good hostess!

I made a point out of putting a bottle of decent-quality brandy and some snacks into my basket too, sort of like when you buy a huge packet of chocolates, crisps and a 2-liter bottle of non-diet soda, and then throw in a bag of carrots as to not appear like a complete couch potato.

In my usual, well organised manner I was still running around fixing the last details (such as brushing my teeth and doing the rather impressive stack of dishes, considering I was the only contributor to them) when the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Thankfully, Godric didn't show up before half an hour later, which meant that I opened the door wearing a dry shirt rather than the one I'd managed to soak through while doing the dishes.

My face split into an automatic smile when I saw him standing on my doorstep, possibly because a not-too-small part of me had expected the vampire-sheriff to think of something more important to do than visit lil' old me. "Good evening."

"Good evening, little one."

I raised my eyebrows at him teasingly. "You know... when you are standing on the doorstep I'm even taller than you than I normally am..."

His eyes sparkled in response to my mirth. "Indeed you are. May I come in?"

I stepped aside with a sweeping motion of the arm not currently holding open the door, but Godric stayed on the step. He smiled vaguely at my puzzled expression.

"You have to actually say it, or I will not be able to enter."

Oh! I blinked once, and my stomach did a flip-flop that had nothing to do with his magnetic eyes and everything to do with realising that I was in the process of inviting an undead into my home.

"Please come in, Godric."

He stepped over the threshold, but his eyes had lost the amused gleam. "You are still struggling with what I am?" His voice was quiet.

I half-shrugged my shoulders. "It takes a bit of time to get used to. _But!_" I lit up and hurried to the fridge in the small kitchen section of my living space, pulling out the 6-pack of TruBlood I'd purchased earlier in the day with a small wriggle of my wrist and a conciliatory smile. "It's O negative – I hope that's alright? I saw you drink it yesterday."

Godric smiled softly. "It is fine, thank you."

I took one out and handed it to him, but he hesitated. "Would it be possible to heat it some?"

A shudder involuntarily went through me when I realised it was in order to make it seem more like real blood, but I turned towards the microwave oven and quickly read the instructions on the back of the bottle before I opened it and put it in, starting the timer. While I waited for it to heat I made myself some tea.

The oven beeped and I pulled out the bottle and handed it to my vampire guest.

"Thank you very much." He was a very polite vampire guest.

"You're welcome." I made a flapping-motion towards the couch. "Please, sit down."

He obeyed, and let his gaze search around my small living room, immediately focussing on the many paintings that covered my walls.

I spent the time while me tea brewed by becoming a little embarrassed about the difference between the pristinely dressed, and somehow _authoritative-_looking, man on my shoddy couch, and my belongings, which generally came from the 'used & cheap' section in the local newspaper, and in no way matched each other. I sighed. Oh well, if we could start a friendship even though we didn't even belong to the same species, a class gap would hardly make that much of a difference.

Godric turned his head towards me by the sound of my sigh. "Is something the matter?"

"No, not at all." I finished messing with the tea. "Hang on a moment, I'm just gonna get my art supplies."

I disappeared into the bedroom, where I'd relocated all the generic knickknack that didn't have a set place in my home during my tidy, and grabbed a block of paper, pencils, eraser and a smudger. The man's face practically begged to be drawn in charcoal, but I preferred to start out by getting a sense of his lines and angles with pencils first.

When I came back into the living room Godric was standing by my bookshelf, his posture rigid.

"Are you a witch?" The tone was tense and his eye unusually cold.

So he'd found my spiritual books and small alter.

I sighed. "Don't tell me you're an orthodox Christian..?" It was meant as a joke, but his face was still fixed in an expressionless mask.

My eyes narrowed slightly. "I am spiritual. Is that a problem?"

"That depends on the kind of spells, you conjure."

I blinked, suddenly realising that we probably weren't talking about the same sort of thing here. "When you say witch, do you mean someone who actually does magic?"

He nodded once without taking his eyes off me.

Relaxing some I flopped down on the couch with my drawing pad in my lap and my ankles crossed underneath me. "No, then I'm not a witch… but you should really work a little on your prejudice, young man." Maybe a joke would lighten the suddenly awkward atmosphere.

Godric shot me a long, scrutinising look before he slowly sat down on the other end of the couch again. "Forgive me; many years of strife are hard to let go of." His voice was soft again, but still a little hesitant.

My jaw dropped. "Shut up! Witches are _real_?! Honest-to-God witches?"

Again, he nodded shortly, and I sighed longingly. "I wonder if they ever come to my shop." I was mainly talking to myself, but after seeing his uncomprehending facial expression I explained: "I work in a New Age store. We sell crystals and herbs and stuff."

"They most likely do, then." He did not look particularly thrilled at the prospect, but I was honestly much too delighted with my new-found knowledge to care.

"And you don't get along with them? Why?" I quizzed.

"Old disagreements." He glanced at my bookshelf with obvious aversion, and it was clear that he did not intend to elaborate.

I blew my bangs out of my eyes with a snort. "Yeah well, glaring at my religion will not make me any more or less magical. And _I_ heated up a bottle of synthetic blood to body temperature without gagging, which I personally think should nominate me to a damn Nobel price."

The vampire with the youthful face snorted from a spontaneous burst of laughter and finally looked away from the shelf to my face. "That is a point." His eyes had softened again, and he studied me curiously. "What do you mean that it is your religion?"

Glad that the awkward moment seemed to be over I grabbed a pencil and started lightly tracing the outline of his face. "Religion is probably not the right word. There are no churches, no scripts; just a connectedness to the cosmos. But it is hard to explain spirituality because it is so individual and deeply personal, so I find it easier to just say 'religion' when the subject I brought up."

"Would you mind trying to explain it to me?"

His velvety voice made me shake my head while grabbing for the eraser so I could correct a line.

"It is mostly a feeling. When I listen carefully, or _feel_, I can sense that there is a big net, and I can _see_ the life force we all carry within. The soul, if you prefer. " I prodded my forehead with the blunt end of the pencil to indicate what I meant by 'see', and then lifted it out in front of me with one eye closed, to find the correct angles for his features.

He sighed softly, and I realised that his face held endless sadness.

I lowered the pencil. "Did I say something wrong?"

Godric's smile was gentle, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No, little one, you did not. I was just reminded of my own lack of connectedness with the world and that net, you speak of. I do not have a soul to share with the cosmos."

"Godric!" My voice broke in surprise and outrage. "How on Earth can you say that; of course you do!" Who the hell didn't think they had a soul?!

He tapped his index finger lightly against the bottle of TruBlood in his hand. "Monsters do not get to keep their soul."

I put the drawing pad on the sofa table with a small snap. "I can practically sense your soul without trying." It was true; my entire being relaxed in his presence.

"You are kind to say this." His expression indicated his obvious doubts, even though his grey eyes showed warmth.

Decisively I gracelessly scooted over the couch until I sat cross-legged right in front of him. Slowly, giving him plenty of time to move if he didn't wish to be touched, I lifted my right hand towards his face.

His eyes flickered to my approaching hand for a brief second before they locked in mine.

When my fingers graced his cool skin he immediately stiffened, but then relaxed when my hand had rested unmoving against his cheek for a short while. If the small sparks I felt from the contact with him was any indicator, anyone should be able to sense his soul without even looking.

I stared into his eyes, let myself get swallowed up… my eyelids flickered shut and… _Holy_ cow, he had a soul, alright! The light from his life essence was big and golden, and it _pulled_ on me. I felt completely light and calm in every fibre of my being.

Reluctantly I opened my eyes and saw that his, too, had been closed. They opened a second after mine.

"_Wow._" I wasn't even aware of my breathless exclamation before I registered the questioning look he gave me. Uncomfortably self-aware I moved back to my original spot at the other end of the sofa. "Yeah, you have a soul, Godric." And for as long as I lived I would never be able to forget the feeling of it.

I grabbed my paper again to try to focus on the physical world around us; I'd never had such a spiritual experience with another person before, and I was a little shaken.

My efforts were not made any easier by Godric's intense gaze, which for a moment seemed to glow with something I've never seen in another being before, only to then soften so completely so that my thoughts quickly turned from the metaphysical world and my stomach did an unexpected somersault. Which wasn't even a little bit better, I silently scolded my rebel-stomach.

"Can you teach me to see what you see?"

As if I could do anything but nod when he used that velvety-soft tone.

"I can try – I'm not exactly an instructor of any kind. But it's better outside, so perhaps another day?"

He nodded. "As you prefer."

Determined to get my portrait I stuck out the pencil again to get the angle between his nose and left eye, and then proceeded to make a few, quick marks on the paper.

"Do you believe in a god?" he asked.

"M-hm," I confirmed. "But perhaps mainly as a concept. I mean, I've _felt _her, but on a purely theological level I'm not sure if it is a _being_ as such, or more a higher conscience that is a culmination of the cosmic connection between us all."

"'Her'?" There was not malice in his voice, just curiosity.

I shrugged my shoulders noncommittally. "It sounds so impersonal to say 'it', and I'm enough of a feminist to choose the feminine option. I don't think gender really is the deciding factor."

Realisation suddenly struck me, and I looked up at him, somewhat startled. "I've never talked to anyone about this before."

"And I am honoured."

The sincerity on his face made me smile and return to my drawing. "Do you believe in a god, then?"

"The older I get, the more convinced I am." He smiled wryly. "I occasionally glimpse Him in actions and deeds in humans around the world."

"You believe in hell too." It wasn't a question; someone who believed they'd lost their soul would only think to look for it in one place.

Godric sighed lightly. "Yes."

"I prefer my view on things," I teased gently, in an attempt of lightening the mood a bit from the deep conversation.

He chuckled softly. "So do I, little one."

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes while I sketched.

I eventually broke the quietness. "Godric?"

"Little one?"

Seemed like I was stuck with that pet name.

"Does your hair and nails grow, or are you deemed to spend eternity with a hairdo that will eventually be hopelessly out of fashion?"

The corners of his mouth quivered lightly. "They grow, but it is slower than for humans."

"Huh. That reminds me... there's been quite a bit of research done on what microwaves do to human food, and they indicate that they destroy most of the nutrition in it. Is it not the same with blood? And if so, is there a nutritional difference for vampires?"

Godric pensively tilted his head – which made me pause my drawing – and sent my kitchen a long glance. "I actually do not know." He sounded intrigued. "I do not think research has been conducted on this."

"Well, you're not getting me to heat it up in one of my pots." I shuddered at the thought, and he chuckled at my reaction.

Suddenly, I recalled something from our conversation earlier in the evening. "Hey! If witches are real, does that mean that other creatures are too? Like... werewolves? Ghosts?"

The look I received made me swallow hard. "Oh, Goddess. Something suddenly tells me that I'd rather not have an answer to that?"

"I cannot discuss supernatural business with a human," was the astonishing – though quite revealing – answer.

I grimaced. "Oh well no, I suppose the sheriff has to follow the straight and narrow. Holy crapposaurus! I'm not sure I'll ever brave going outside again."

His look was serious, and I shuddered. Not exactly Mr comforting!

"Oh well, I haven't met any before – I mean, apart from you of course - so I guess the chances are good that I will be allowed to continue my ordinary life as the peaceful, insignificant human that I am." It was halfway an attempt to calm myself down, half of lightening the mood – which were thoroughly linked concepts; I half expected a herd of ghosts to be milling around over my head at that exact moment in time.

But Godric looked at me with the most intense stare I had ever received from anyone. "Sophie, there is nothing insignificant or ordinary about you. You are the most interesting, most exciting being I have ever encountered."

My reaction was to be expected; I flushed the colour of a tomato all the way to the back of my neck, but before I could deflect with a joke his phone went off.

Quicker than my eyes could follow he had it in his hand, lightly pressed against his ear. "What? Yes… no. Yes. Ten minutes." He hung up and looked regretfully at me. "I have to go now."

I checked my own phone and realised with surprise that he'd been there for almost four hours. It hadn't felt that long at all. I got up and walked him to the door. "Thanks for tonight."

"Would it be acceptable if I came back another night?" he asked while hesitating in front of the door.

I sent him a bright smile. "You'll have to. I'm nowhere near done drawing you. Do you have time tomorrow?"

"It would be hard to fit in."

I stuck out my hand. "Give me your phone."

He obeyed, eyebrows lightly raised.

I quickly typed in my number and handed his phone back to him. "Here ya go. Write or call me when you have time. But if it is during the week I'll probably be asleep after midnight."

He smiled lightly. "We shall speak again, Sophie." And then he was out the door and gone in the night. Damn vampire speed.

I closed and locked the door before I tiredly leaned against it. The night had had more content than what I normally squeezed into an entire month, and after that and the trip to the bar with my colleagues last night I was now completely exhausted. Ignoring petty things such as tidying up and removing the little bit of makeup I'd hastily slapped on before he arrived (foundation and mascara) I walked into the bedroom and flopped on the bed. Moments later I was asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**5**

Monday morning I started my shift with River, who spent the time in between serving customers, stocking shelves and mixing herbs asking me about how Godric and I knew each other.

I considered briefly, then decided to moderate the story significantly as I was not quite sure that drawing attention to myself if the story got out would be such a great idea. "We were both in a bit of a bind with the Fellowship of the Sun. Godric sorta grabbed me by happenstance when he vamp-sped out of there." I shrugged, while thinking that that had to be the lamest story I'd ever made up.

River's pretty, brown eyes widened. "Really? Sophie, why… why were the Fellowship after you? I mean, he's a vampire so I guess I can understand, but _you_?"

I rolled my eyes. "Never read twilight in a public place."

She gaped at me. "For real?!"

Somehow I'd wish that that was the part of the story that was a lie.

"For real. It is apparently 'the Devil's literature' and has been written to 'spread embellished lies about the demons walking among us'." I sighed dramatically. "And I was _right_ in the middle of the romantic part as well."

River giggled and shook her golden-brown tresses in astonishment. "Oh, by the way, that reminds me; you're no longer the only one with a vampire buddy!"

I shot her a questioning glance.

"Ask Skye when she comes in tomorrow."

As it turned out I didn't have to ask Skye the next day. She showed up at work with a silk scarf wrapped around her neck, which she proceeded to pull down in order to show me a set of fang marks as a sort of answer to my 'good morning'.

"We went to that vampire bar, 'Snazzy', after you and Godric left, and that's where I met Tom," she happily explained while readying the till.

It was a little hard to find a suitable facial expression that early in the morning, but I managed to get my features smoothed into an excited grimace. "Oh? So are you… dating?"

The blonde giggled happily, and it was impossible to miss that she was head over heels. Whether it was in Tom or the thought of dating a vampire I wouldn't know.

"Oh, it's not serious; we just met! But he'll swing by tonight – you know, after sundown. He is sooo hot!" she sighed dreamily.

I congratulated her, because it seemed like the right thing to do, and then spent the entire day listening to details about Tom I wished she'd kept to herself. I've never really had good girlfriends to gossip with, so being told intimate specifics about Skye's new guy made me rather uncomfortable.

Godric called a few minutes after sunset that same night.

I hesitantly answered the phone, showing an unknown number, with a suspicious 'hello'. Nothing worse than getting stuck with a determined telemarketer.

"Sophie." The voice on the other end was smooth and automatically made my lips curl up into a smile. "Do you have the time to see me tonight? It would not be for very long, but I should be able to fit in an hour or two."

"Yes, of course," I confirmed, while throwing a brief glance around the living room, which –once again- had mutated into something that needed a helping hand. Or two.

"Good. I shall be there in... Fifteen minutes."

I croaked in shock, but he'd already hung up.

As I remembered the drive home from his house it took a good forty-five minutes, and he could hardly have been in the area since the sun had just recently set.

I glanced down at myself; I'd changed out of my work clothes and into a pink pair of sweats and ditto sweatshirt, and woolly socks, removed all makeup and tossed my long, walnut brown hair up into a messy bun the second I'd stepped in the door, but after a few moments of calculating the embarrassment factors I started tidying up the mess in the living room and cleaning the dirty pots in the kitchen, ignoring my (desperate) beauty needs.

Just as I'd washed the last pot a knock sounded from the door. With a not particularly lady-like move I wiped my hands on my butt and went over to open up for my visitor.

"Hey, you."

"Sophie.", he greeted.

I stepped aside and he followed me in, this time without needing a verbal invitation.

"Just a moment." I left him in the living room while I went to get the set of clothes he'd lent me half a year ago, having completely forgotten all about them the last time he visited.

When I came back with the clothes neatly folded over my arm he was engrossed in a painting of a sunrise I'd done shortly after arriving to Dallas 8 months ago.

"You have a lot of talent," he commented, without taking his eyes off the painting.

I smiled lightly. "Thank you."

"You should exhibit."

I snorted. "I don't have _that_ much talent. I doubt anyone would spend their money on my doodles."

"I would." His voice was gentle, and I blushed shyly from the compliment.

"By the way, I have the clothes you lent me this summer," I interrupted, not completely comfortable receiving compliments for my art. I rarely brought people over, so it was equally rare that anyone saw my drawings and paintings.

Godric turned towards me with a somewhat surprised look on his face, as if he'd forgotten all about it. Which he probably had, being a Rich Boy and all. "Oh, thank you." He accepted them when I handed them over.

And then he sniffed them.

I froze, insulted. "I _have_ washed them."

The tone made him shoot me a quizzical glance. "They smell like you."

I wasn't exactly sure why he thought that that would be any sort of explanation.

"They are clean." My tone was frosty. "But I can have them dry-cleaned for you, if you prefer."

Godric blinked a single time while he took in my expression, and suddenly comprehension seemed to cross his beautiful features. I was fairly certain that he would have blushed, had he been able to. "Oh, I am sorry Sophie, it was not… That they smell like you is not a negative observation. I am truly sorry, I forgot that humans do not…"

"Sniff things?" My tone was still curt, but it seemed like he'd just had a 'vampire moment'. I was pretty sure that I did a lot of faux pas in his eyes too, which would be completely normal for humans. "Is it kinda like when dogs sniff each other when they say hello?"

Judging from his expression I'd just committed one.

"I suppose you could compare the two," he replied carefully, before he placed the clothes on the coffee table and sat down.

I put a bottle of TruBlood in the microwave and fixed myself a cup of tea. While I waited for it to respectively heat up and brew I leaned against the kitchen counter and watched him as his eyes moved across the room and over my belongings. "So do I smell like food, then?"

His head snapped in my directions, mercury eyes staring incredulously at me.

"I mean, since you say the clothes smell like me," I tried to explain. "And your natural diet is, well, human blood. I'm just trying to figure out if I smell to you like a cheeseburger does to me."

Godric shook his head at me. "I do not think it is comparable."

I raised my eyebrows, encouraging him to continue.

He sighed. "There are many nuances in a human's scent; only a part of that is the blood. And I think, from my observations, that the smell of pure blood generally is far more enticing to vampires than a burger is to humans."

"Then you haven't seen many people with hangovers," I teased, which earned me a wry smile in response.

The oven beeped, and I got his TruBlood out and carried that and my tea to the table, before grabbing my drawing kit.

"Is it by the way weird for you to drink from a bottle?"

The vampire nodded once. Well well, someone was in a quiet mood today.

"Do you ever eat from, er, the source?" I realised that it wasn't a particularly okay question to ask a practical stranger; it seemed a little like asking about his sexual preferences, but Godric seemed unfazed, though the thoughtful, distant expression didn't leave his face.

"Not since TruBlood and the Great Revelation. It has not been necessary."

It surprised me a little. "But there are many willing donors now, right?"

He shrugged and didn't comment, so I changed the subject, realising that that was what I'd get out of him about his eating habits this evening.

"So how exactly did the Fellowship of the Sun manage to capture you?"

He sent me a long look. "I surrendered voluntarily."

_That_ made my jaw drop. "Excuse me?! _Why?_"

His deep eyes became even more distant. "I knew that they had been planning to capture a vampire from my district for a while, and that they would succeed sooner or later – they are very… persistent. And I… thought that my voluntary True Death could work as a catalyst for a greater understanding between humans and vampires."

I dropped the pencil from my suddenly stiff fingers, and it rolled to the floor with a clatter. "Could you explain that chain of reasoning? Please?"

"We are frightening to you, to humans, and with just reason. We _are _dangerous; terrifying. I thought that if humankind saw one of us willingly sacrifice our immortal life to lessen this fear, they – you – would be able to see that there is more than violence and disdain in our kind. And in turn, if vampires saw one of their own kind sacrificing themselves for this cause, more would be willing to rethink old customs and patterns."

The way he spoke was calm, serene, but also infinitely dismal.

And I… I was furious.

He looked at me, surprise shining through the melancholy. "You are angry?"

"_Of course_ I am angry!" I hissed. "You wanted to commit suicide! You would sacrifice your life so a bunch of fanatics could cultivate their hatred! Your death would have helped _nothing_; all that would have happened was that they'd have their little party of hate, _you'd_ be dead, and I assume that if you are Mr Big Shot Vampire all the area's vampires would have taken a gruesome revenge. How on Earth do you expect to be able to make any sort of a difference if you are dead?!"

Godric considered me for a long while, while I tried to control my anger.

"You stopped drawing," he noted, after a good ten minutes.

"I am too angry to draw right now," I snapped.

"I do not understand why."

My eyes narrowed at him. "You would have been dead."

He sighed softly. "Yes."

"And for no reason at all. You a_re_ aware that your plan would never have worked out the way you imagined, right?"

His expression hardened. "I realised that when they savaged you to get more evidence that we are nothing but monsters."

I leaned forward on the couch, put a hand on his knee – ignoring his body going slightly rigid at the contact – and stared into his grey eyes. "Never, _ever_ do anything that idiotic again."

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Will you then promise to never again get in front of a vampire in order to protect it?"

"I'm not joking, Godric."

"Neither am I," he sighed.

We had a few minutes long staring contest, which I gave up because he didn't have to blink. With a huff I leaned back on the couch. "What did Eric have to say about your plan?"

His expression grew regretful. "Eric is... upset with me."

I gave him a pointed look before I grabbed pencil and paper again and continued drawing.

"I am happy I met you."

I glanced up from my drawing.

"It would not have happened if I had not attempted that foolish plan," he added, a hint of a smile on his full lips.

He was impossible to have a discussion with, so I just huffed again, but the tension in the air was gone.

"By the way, how did you get out here so fast?" I asked.

"Hm?"

I pointed to the clothing on the coffee table as a point of reference. "When your, uh, chauffeur drove me home it took a good forty-five minutes to get here. You arrived about twenty minutes past sundown."

"I flew," he deadpanned.

"Excuse me..." I blinked rapidly a couple of times. "F-flew?"

"Yes."

"Vampires can _fly?!_"

Godric shrugged lightly. "Some can."

"What the actual _fuck!_" I gaped at him. "How?!"

He looked at me with mild confusion.

"You are freaking Superman, aren't you!" I wasn't serious, not _really_, but I was in a state of utter disbelief and complete, hysterical excitement.

His dark laughter resonated through the room. "I am _definitely_ not a superhero, Sophie."

I stared at him. "Godric..?" It was the best begging voice I had managed since I was about the age of five.

He quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Is there any possible way that… I mean, I'd do a_nything_, and I mean _anything_ f it would be possible to… and I of course don't know if it is, but… could I maybe, at some point, possibly… get a… ride?"

"A ride?"

I was pretty certain that I was in the middle of another vampire faux pas, but it was just too big of an opportunity to let slip between my fingers without at least having tried.

"Yeah, you know, fly with you."

He pursed his lips slightly. "Eric flew with you when he brought you home from the church that night."

I blinked. "Seriously? I _flew_ and I didn't even realise it?!"

"It would appear so." There was a hint of humour in his smooth voice.

Son of a...

"Aw, come on Godric, I was terrified and _bleeding_ and… Please? I really mean that I'd do anything."

Something black flickered at the back of his eyes. "Be careful what you promise, little one."

A shiver ran up my spine, but I was pretty sure that I'd be ok with getting bitten for this privilege. With a serious expression I held out my wrist towards him.

Godric stared at it.

"It's okay, I really do mean anything." My voice only shook a tiny bit.

Carefully he closed a hand around my wrist and placed it back in my lap before letting go. "Thank you, little one, but I will not draw your blood." His voice was soft.

Both relieved and disappointed I sighed and shot him a pleading look.

He watched me pensively for a moment, and I could sense a certain amount of calculation in his gaze. "A future favour," he finally replied.

"Huh?"

"I will take you out flying right now, if you promise me a future favour. One you would not be able to refuse, no matter what it turns out to be."

His tone of voice made me swallow hard. But, I mean… it was flying!

"Okay!" I jumped up from the couch and sprinted to the bedroom to put on a pair of jeans, a sweater and a jacket I deemed suited for flying in November.

I was back in the living room three minutes later, and if Godric's chuckle was anything to go by I looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

He calmly stood up and strolled over to the door, where I was restlessly bouncing on the spot, and I hurried to close and lock up behind us before I turned around to him with a giant grin plastered all over my face.

The dark-haired vampire shook his head at me, and then turned his back, bending his knees slightly. "Jump up."

"Uh... are you sure I'm not too heavy?" It wasn't that he was slightly built, but with my height, round hips and heavier-than-average bone density I wasn't exactly doll sized.

Godric sent me an incredulous look over his shoulder, and I blushed a little.

"Yeah yeah, vampire strength," I sighed, placing my hands on his shoulders a little awkwardly before I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his hips. He didn't move as much as an inch from the sudden shift in weight.

He locked his arms around my legs, and I placed my arms gingerly around his neck. "And I am definitely not too heave?" I ensured again.

I felt his sigh against my chest, which was resting on his white linen shirt, as much as I heard it. "Sophie, I can hardly feel your weight. You are in safe hands."

The last addition made me smile. He was right; I _felt_ safe with his iron grip around my thighs. It was sort of like being locked in granite.

"Ready?" he enquired.

"Oh, Goddess, yes!"

His chuckle followed us as he took off.

We rose faster than I had anticipated, and I screamed and clung to his neck with all my might, and suddenly we were floating in place high above the rooftops. I could see little spots of moving light coiling in ribbons below us and realised that they had to be cars on the roads.

"Eric was right; you are extremely noisy," he teased.

"Oh my Goodness, Godric!" I gasped from my safe position, pressed flush against his body, unable to comment on his teasing. "Oh, fucking god!"

He apparently took that as encouragement.

Without warning we shot forward like an arrow from a bowstring. The night air whipped against us, and I _flew_. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my gooooood!" I chanted, the last word changing into an elongated wail as he suddenly dived, landing smoothly on top of a skyscraper.

It took my arms and legs a little while to release the man whose neck and hips I had had in a death grip during the trip, and I had to lean on his shoulder for support while my jelly-like legs solidified again.

"Alright?" A smug smiled tugged at his lips.

"Fantastic!" I managed to get out. "Best experience of my life, hands down."

He sat down on the roof, and I gratefully plopped down next to him.

"I like to come here, when I have the time." His eyes glided across the city stretching out below us and into the horizon.

I let my upper body fall back so I could starfish, and looked up at the night sky. It was too cloudy for stargazing, but the sensation of having nothing but the celestial concave above us was amazing.

"If I could fly I'd never stop," I breathed happily, and turned my head so I could look up at him. He sat leaned backwards, weight supported on one hand, looking down at me. "Can you fly outside of the Earth's atmosphere?"

A smile graced his face. "The general laws of gravity apply to monsters too, even though we do get certain passes.

"You are not a monster." I pointed at my forehead. "And I would know; I've seen you, remember?"

Godric shook his head at me. "You would not recognise a monster if it bit your leg. You are too innocent for your own good."

"And you are too melodramatic for _your_ own good," I retaliated, glaring at him.

"Perhaps," he offered, turning his gaze to the sky.

I remembered that he'd asked me to help teach him to see energies.

"Lean back."

He sent me a questioning look but obeyed.

"Release all thoughts and emotions; everything."

The way his body almost immediately seemed to relax and his eyes turned distant before they closed made it obviously clear that he had far more experience with meditating than I did.

I was just about to ask him to focus on his breathing when I realised that he was so thoroughly relaxed that his body had stopped the – for him – unnecessary function.

"Listen to my breathing," I improvised, as I made it deep and slow. "It is life, it is everything that matters."

Slowly his chest started to move up and down in the same rhythm.

"When there is nothing else in your mind you need to _listen_. Focus up, listen to the universe above us. Visualise the pull from it."

I let him lay in silence for a good ten minutes before I stole a glance at his still face. He looked very peaceful, and it put his normal, ever-present and ingrained sadness in stark contrast. Even when he was laughing there was that hint of sorrow farthest back in his eyes.

"You are staring."

I smirked over the reference to the time I'd watched him sleeping in the cage at the Fellowship of the Sun, and I sat up and bent over him so I could blow air in his face.

His metal-coloured eyes opened, and I moved back a little.

"I am still a little surprised that you chose to poke a sleeping vampire in the eye." His voice was dry, making me laugh.

"Me too," I admitted. "But you took it well."

He grunted casually.

"So, did you feel anything?" I asked, indicating the sky with a hand gesture.

He rolled over onto his side, resting his head in his hand while his eyes scrutinised me. "I felt you."

I scrunched up my forehead. "The universe is a slightly larger target."

"I find the sound of your heartbeat distracting."

I blinked. "You can _hear_ my heartbeat?"

"You really are struggling with coming to terms with this vampire concept?" he teased, a soft smile on his handsome face.

I maturely pulled a face at him. "I keep forgetting that you aren't, well, completely human. I know that I'm saying this after you _flew_ us up to the top of this building, but…"

His face grew completely sombre. "It is not something that you should ever forget."

"As long as I don't happen to cut myself around you when you've been starving for a while I'm sure it'll be fine," I replied calmly. After having _seen_ his soul I didn't really have the capacity to fear his nature.

Godric caught and held my eyes with his. "Have you heard of glamouring?"

"The hypnosis-thing you can do? Yes?"

"I could put you through all kinds of torture, only to make you forget it afterwards. I could make you follow me around like a mindless slave. I could force you to jump out from a bridge."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "And you could have taken my life to sate your hunger half a year ago."

He sighed deeply. "Too innocent." It was a mutter.

"Why do you want me to be afraid of you? Would you like us to not see each other again?"

"No. I enjoy speaking with you." Guilt flickered in his eyes. "But I sense that you are unaware of what you are getting into."

I leaned forward, a hand propping my chin up. "So tell me."

"I am a killer." His voice was quiet. "I have many, many lives on my conscience. And there was a time when I… enjoyed inflicting violence and pain on others."

It was a little hard to relate to, to be perfectly honest. I mean, I knew that if he'd been a vampire before the Great Revelation then he'd probably killed some humans, but it was an entirely different thing to have the truth served to you like this.

"A part of me _is_ that monster. It is in my nature," he continued softly.

I watched him for a long moment while I thought about what to say; what I _could_ say.

"What changed?"

A spasm pulled on his sculptured lips. "I learned empathy. I would still kill today, but not… not without reason. Without it following my beliefs."

"And what are your beliefs?"

His eyes grew distant. "Survival, defence. Violence against an innocent. If I had been strong enough to break free from the silver I would have killed Gabe without remorse when I heard you scream."

"If I had been strong enough _I'd_ have killed Gabe without remorse," I noted dryly.

A gentle smiled appeared on his face. "I do not think that you could have done so and not felt remorse, little one. You _are_ an innocent, even though you do not like to be told so."

I mused over that in silence for a while, and ended up concluding that I wasn't sure if he was right or not. It seemed to be one of those things you'd never truly know before you had actually taken another's life.

"I think I understand what you mean by it being your nature... a little better, at least," I finally said. "But it is a part of you, so I can't really complain."

He cocked an eyebrow at me questioningly.

"Package deal," I smiled wryly.

Godric sighed and sat up. "I suppose it is." He looked up towards the sky as if he could see the stars that were hidden from me – which he probably could. "I should take you home now. I am late for a meeting… again."

I grinned at him. "Will you be grounded for being out past curfew?"

He laughed gently and got up so he could offer his hand to me and pull me up. "It would be preferable, I think. These meetings are not exciting." He offered his back and I jumped up, only to shriek shrilly when he immediately set off, arms securely locked around my thighs.

When we landed at my little house he walked me in the door, probably to ensure that I didn't collapse from a scream-induced lack of oxygen, and gathered up the clothes he'd left on the coffee table.

"Godric... thank you so, so, so much." My eyes were still sparkling from the last flight.

The corner of his mouth pulled up a little. "You are most welcome, little one. But perhaps you can work on screaming less next time, hm?"

"_Next_ time?!" I exclaimed, absolutely thrilled.

He chuckled and sent me a little smirk. "If you behave well. But I will have to leave you for tonight now. Good night, Sophie."

"Good night, Godric."

That night I dreamt about flying among the stars on a ball of golden light.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_There's a bit of gore in this one, but I suppose no more than a True Blood fan should be well used to. Also, sorry about the length; actually had to cut it short to not go completely over the top._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**6**

That awkward moment when you realise that inviting your vampire friend over while you are on your period was not the brightest idea.

I hadn't seen Godric for about a week after he took me out flying, and it just happened to be that time of the month when he called to see if I had time for him to come over that same night. And I didn't even pause to consider any possible complications with that scenario when I happily agreed, mightily excited at the prospect of talking to him again. It was without a doubt very pathetic, but after seeing him a grand total of four times he was the nearest thing I'd ever had to a close friend, and I looked forward to the time I would get to spend with him before our lives inevitably would separate again.

So when I shortly after hanging up the phone opened the door, chocolate bar in hand, I got quite the shock when the vampire on the other side dropped the small smile he'd featured, a look of deep concern suddenly marring his face.

"Sophie!" he exclaimed, alarm in his voice as he quickly entered my house, cold, strong hands grabbing my shoulders gently while his eyes quickly scanned me. "Are you hurt?"

Still without a clue my brows knotted in confusion. "Huh? No, I'm f…"

His nostrils flared, and suddenly his body went rigid, and I saw his pupils dilate so they filled his entire iris. Goddess, that was creepy to experience up close; I might have trusted that he wouldn't hurt me on an emotional and intellectual level, but my body reacted per instinct when his entire persona shifted to predator for that brief moment.

Before I managed to gasp or flinch, or anything at all really, he stood at the other side of my kitchen, and I could tell that he held his breath.

It was approximately at that point in time the penny dropped, and I predictably flushed scarlet and slapped my hands up in front of my face.

"I am truly sorry," he blurted out. "It… surprised me."

It was clearly too late to pretend like nothing had happened so I took a deep breath and lowered my hands from my still furiously red face. "You gonna be ok?"

He nodded stiffly once without looking at me.

The next hour was fantastically awkward. Godric sat as far pressed back in the sofa away from me as he physically could, looking like the personification of the concept '_tense'_, and his behaviour threw me off balance too much to even consider digging out my art supplies.

In the end, after I had given up trying to get a conversation started and we'd sat in silence for about fifteen minutes, he made some excuse about having to work and disappeared as fast he could out the door without actually running. He hadn't breathed the entire time.

* * *

The next day I was working with Skye at the front of the shop while Dennis mixed herbs round the back. I wasn't quite clear on how it would work for real witches, but we did all sorts of blends that was meant to aid healing, love, happiness and all other things people want to improve and that magic seems like a quick fix for.

Ever since Godric had told me that witches were, indeed, real, I had tried to see if I could make out any among our customers, but I had absolutely no clue what to look for so I hadn't had much luck.

The thought of Godric made me glance up at Skye, who was sat on the desk, swinging her bare feet and twirling her long, blonde curls between her fingers.

She had stopped wearing a scarf and now proudly showed off her lover's fang marks, which had actually given a bit of a boost to our sales. It seemed that the store appeared more supernatural when one of the shop assistants was clearly 'in' with the undead. I guess a New Age store didn't attract many closed-minded bible thumpers who saw such relations as sinful and wrong.

But I was starting to notice that my pretty colleague was getting increasingly tired-looking, with dark shadows under her eyes and less sparkle in her otherwise bright, blue eyes.

"Skye," I called, attracting her attention.

She smiled at me, waiting for me to continue. She was a nice girl, really. I'd never had tons in common with her, and she was a little too ditzy for me to enjoy longer conversations with her, but she was always smiling and helpful, and generally saw the best in everyone. And I realised that I worried for her.

"Are you feeling alright? You are looking a little exhausted," I gently pried.

The blonde sighed lightly, absentmindedly stroking her marked neck. "Oh yes, Tom just keeps me up all night. Being with a vampire takes a toll on us mortals, with us being so weak and having daytime chores and such."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something about him needing to take better care of her; I had a distinct feeling that saying anything negative about her vampire lover would not go down well. So I managed a smile. "You just take care of yourself; we delicate flowers need our sun time!"

She giggled and promised to do so, hopping down from the desk when a customer walked in the door, and I hoped she would.

When he'd been served (emo-looking kid needing a silver knife, black candles and a mix of the herbal love-blend, because clichés thrive in this sort of environment) I broached the subject that'd been on my mind since last night.

"Hun… I have a question about vampires I need to ask you." My voice was lowered conspiratorially, partly so Dennis wouldn't hear and have to bleach out his ears, and partly to capture Skye's attention. She loved talking about vampires, and was generally a bit affronted that I didn't share much about Godric.

It worked. The blonde looked expectantly at me from behind the counter, and I leaned in from the other side.

"I was wondering if… you'd experienced your menstrual cycle while with Tom?"

Her eyes widened lightly and then she burst into giggles, nodding her head. "Oh, _yes!_" Her voice was suddenly quite sultry, which surprised me enough to apparently look at her with sufficient confusion for her to explain: "It was _most_ exciting. I've never received so much oral sex, and even though it was a bit icky, I can always take more of that!"

Oh, _ew!_ This girl just crossed into TMI-territory at the drop of a dime.

"Er…" I was really hating that I thought in pictures at that moment. "So, er, he didn't feel the urge to, uh, kill you?" I almost said 'eat', but managed to change that unfortunate slip of the tongue at the last moment.

Skye blinked, puzzled. "No, why would he want to do that?"

"Because you were… bleeding?" I tilted my head while I watched her. I was starting to feel like I was missing something when her lips quivered in an obvious attempt to hold back a laugh; not exactly something Skye did much, and I realised that she was trying not to laugh _at me_.

"Oh, Sophie, honey… no. _That_ particular type of bleeding does not bring out the urge to _kill_ in them." She raised her eyebrows meaningfully, and realisation came to me a few seconds before an impressive blush.

"_Oh."_

Oh. So opening the door for your strictly-platonic vampire buddy whilst on period was pretty much the same thing as opening the door to a guy from, say, your study group, wearing lingerie and heels.

"Will you please tell me what happened?" Skye begged, a grin now evident on her lips.

I shook my head decisively, too mortified with the little vampire/human-friendship mishap to even get annoyed when she started pouting.

* * *

But when I hadn't heard from Godric for a week and a half I had pretty much gotten over the embarrassment and was now just annoyed that he was apparently so freaked out. I mean, it had obviously been a blunder caused by ignorance; it wasn't like I had tried to get into his pants.

And when my beloved yellow, banged-up car decided that no, it did not want to start up after I'd had a particularly long and trying 10-hour shift the same day I'd forgotten my wallet at home, leaving me with no money for the bus and the only means to get home being my quite tired feet, I'd had enough. Of everything.

Waiting until I got out of the busy part of town (so I could hear him better) and towards the more woodland-bushy area I didn't live too far from – if you were in car, at least – I took out my phone and called him to have a little chat about the female body, which he'd clearly missed out on in school.

He picked up on the first ring. "Sophie. Are you in trouble?" was his greeting.

Ok, so it was the first time _I'd_ called _him_, but I thought that that was a little presumptuous of him.

"No, I'm not in trouble," I snapped. "And I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. I w_as_, however, wondering if the fact that I am a woman means you are too freaked out to see me again."

"Oh."

Fabulous response.

"Because I can't help that, you know," I continued, irritation evident in my voice. "And I didn't know that my bodily functions would cause such a problem. I mean, shouldn't _you_ have known? I can't have been the only human female you've encountered since you got your fangs."

He sighed deeply into the phone. "Yes, I should have, and I apologi…" His voice died when a coyote howled somewhere deep in the bushes that lined the road.

"_Where are you?"_

I blinked at his sudden change in tone and urgency. "I'm on my way home, why?"

"Are you _walking?!_ After I _told_ you that it is unsafe?!"

He sure was getting mightily off track here. "Yes, I am walking; my car broke down and I had no money on me for the bus. Now, could we get back to why you've been avoiding me?"

"This is not the t…" He paused when another coyote-howl sounded a lot closer by. "Sophie, _run!_"

I blinked. "What?!"

Background noises on his end indicated that he was moving around with some haste. "You are being stalked; I need you to get to the nearest house _now!_"

My steps faltered as I glanced over my shoulder for any sign of approaching people, but the street was completely empty. "There's no one here but me and some coyotes in the bushes."

"_Not coyotes_. _Run!_" His voice was a growl this time, and it made my heart race with fear as I started picking up the pace.

"What do you mean 'not coyotes'?" I insisted, my feet taking up a moderate jog.

And then I heard a terrifying sound; I heard the rustling of running paws in the bushes on both sides of the road. My fear spiked into terror and I gasped before starting to sprint blindly down the road.

A growl sounded behind me, but I didn't look back. I ran as fast as I could towards the nearest houses that I already knew were too far away.

And suddenly two big wolves with yellow eyes appeared on the road in front of me, heads lowered and canines exposed in a silent threat.

I halted with a gasp, raising my shaking hand that still clung to my phone as if it was a lifeline. "G-godric…"

"_I am coming."_

Something large and heavy hit me full-force in the back and I fell forward with an 'uff' as the air got knocked out of my lungs, my phone clattering to the ground moments before I myself made the same, painful contact. I desperately gasped for air as my lungs struggled to get oxygen into my system, and when they finally succeeded I wailed in pain from the hold someone, or _something_, had on my hair as they, it, dragged me by it into the bushes lining the road.

Twigs, thorns and branches snagged in my clothes and ripped my skin, but my main source of anguish was from the relentless tug on my scalp. I grabbed above my head to try to lessen the pull, only to come into contact with a furry muzzle.

Yelping in fear I struck at it, and it dropped its hold. Quickly, I scrambled to my knees, only to come face-to-face with a dark-grey wolf baring its teeth at me in a deep growl. The threat resonated around me, and I cast a panicked glance around, only to find that I was surrounded by four, large wolves.

Since when were there wolves in the city?!

Any further musings were interrupted when one of them lunged at me, and I toppled over, smacking my face and shoulder hard against the ground once more as the beast shredded my jacket with its teeth, snarling.

I was going to get savaged to death by wolves. I didn't really think about how undignified an end _that_ was for a city girl as I struggled and cried and begged while the pack tore at my pants and shoes, grazing my skin with teeth and claws. I was way too deep in my fight-or-flight response to realise that they were not ripping at my flesh, merely just not caring whether or not they hurt me.

Right as I'd felt my foot collide heavily with warm fur a _thud_ sounded right next to me, and suddenly there was no beast straddling my back, keeping me down. I rolled over and struggled to my knees just in time to see pale hands grab a wolf by the shoulders and muzzle and _pull_.

The wolf's head came off easily with a sickening _crunch_ as its vertebra separated, sending a spatter of hot blood in a semi-circle, catching me across the face.

I squealed, my eyes losing sight of the wolf's head as it was carelessly tossed out of view, but tracking the body's limp fall to the ground. Upon impact it changed into a man's naked form, with blood spurting out of the frayed hole that used to connect his head to his neck. A bit of white, his snapped vertebra, could be seen among the blood and flesh.

I faintly heard whimpers and a deep snarl, but it seemed to come from far away as my stomach convulsed and I started throwing up, tears thankfully blurring my vision for the grotesque sight.

"Sophie?"

The soothing voice was accompanied by a cool hand stroking feather light circles on my exposed back, deftly avoiding the many cuts and scrapes.

"Sophie, I need you to breathe and relax so I can feed you my blood."

I'd long since emptied the content of my stomach, only to stay on my hands and knees, sobbing and dry-heaving, but the thought of blood being _fed_ to me after what I'd just seen made bile rise in a matter of seconds, and I gagged and spit it out.

"No blood!" I managed, in between heaves.

I felt the hand move from my back to my forehead, and I gratefully pressed against it, relishing in the cool touch. Slowly, my breathing became less laboured and the convulsions of my insides ceased.

Gently I was scooped up and held against a concrete chest, stone arms locking me securely against it as I was cradled in his lap.

"I need to heal you," my saviour's calm voice insisted.

I looked up at his face, touched by the worry I saw in his dark eyes. "Godric, I am not that badly hurt." As I said it, I realised it was the truth. I was covered in what felt like hundreds of scrapes and bruises, and my face hurt from being smacked against the ground, but it wasn't anything that warranted a trip to the hospital, let alone ingestion of vampire blood. The thought alone made me gulp, and I breathed deeply to regain control of my gag reflex.

"And if you try to make me drink… that, I will not be able to stop throwing up."

The vampire frowned down at me, letting his eyes roam over my face and body to confirm my claims. Then he pursed his lips unhappily, but nodded once. "As you wish. I will attend to your wounds later." He eased me to the ground and stood up from his crouched position, and I studiously kept my eyes on his form when he turned around and walked a few yards away, so I didn't see any more of the gore. He crouched down in front of a form that was leaned against a tree trunk, and I realised that this one was alive. This w_erewolf._ I ignored the involuntary shudder that went through me when I realised that I'd met my first werewolves, and stumbled to my feet in order to go take a closer look at my attacker.

I stopped behind Godric, feeling somewhat safer with him between me and the werewolf, even though the man did not look like he was in any state to attack me at this point. He was naked and covered in bruises, his left leg swollen and purple-looking where it had obviously been broken. He was breathing fast and shallow, staring at Godric with a transfixed look.

"Why did you attack the human?" Godric's voice was low and seductive, but with a core of steel behind it. It made me shudder, as every hair on my bruised body stood on end.

"We needed to claim her." The werewolf's voice was monotone and detached, as if he was in some sort of trance.

"Why?"

The man paused.

"_Why?"_ Godric's voice cut through the woods like a whip.

"We were told to." His voice was hesitant, like he was straining to speak.

"By _who?_"

The were gaped, trying to speak, but nothing came out. His eyes bulged in his efforts.

"_Tell. Me. Who!"_

He convulsed under the vampire's command, but still no words came out, and suddenly he sagged against the tree, passed out.

Godric stood up, a dark look on his still face.

"W-what just happened?" I stuttered, eying the collapsed form.

"He was glamoured not to reveal who sent them, which means the perpetrator is a vampire." That obviously meant a lot more to him than it did me. I gaped at him, uncomprehending.

"But why...?"

He had fished out his phone and pressed a few buttons before I could word my question. After what I assumed was one ring, he started speaking low and fast, but I caught the most of it.

"Isabel. I need you to come to Bucksdale road, follow the scent of werewolves. Bring a clean-up crew, then find me. I will be close." He hung up without a goodbye and turned back to the fainted man, shoving him lightly with his foot, but he remained out cold. Finally, he faced me.

"Come, little one. We need to get you home."

As much as I wanted to make sense at what'd happened, a pool of blood in my peripheral vision made me nod my head and take the hand he offered me. Suddenly, I was in his arms, and the trees and bushes blurred past us, only to be replaced by road and houses, and soon we stood in front of my house.

I blinked in surprise when he lowered me to the ground, feet first. "You know, I could have walked, " I sighed while digging through my battered leather purse that I'd miraculously managed to keep a hold of during the attack, and found my keys so I could let us in.

"I do not want you out in the open for longer than what is necessary," he stated, a tone to his voice hinting that he was in no mood to argue, so I walked in the door without responding.

In the safety of my own home I suddenly felt the adrenaline that had been keeping me up leave my system and I leaned heavily against the kitchen counter, trying to keep my shaking legs from buckling under me. What the _hell_ had just happened to me?!

"Come, little one." Godric's hand on my lower back led me to the couch, where I gratefully sank down and leaned my head back against the backrest.

"Godric, what was that about?" I knew he knew more than me about this.

He sighed and sank down next to me. "I… am not sure."

"What did he mean that they needed to c_laim_ me? And why would a vampire I've never met orchestrate this?" I looked in his direction without lifting my head; it seemed heavier than normal.

A dark look passed in the depths of his eyes. "The only reason that I can think of is not pleasant."

Was there really ever a _pleasant_ reason behind a werewolf attack?

"I will tell you more tomorrow, when I am certain of what our next step will be," he explained, after catching my annoyed facial expression.

I sighed, giving up. I really just wanted to not be hurting and scared anymore. I'd planned to make a nice pasta and mussels dish for dinner, catch up on Real Housewives of Orange County (my guilty pleasure of the time) and work on the painting I'd started doing as a Christmas present for Godric. But that was apparently not going to happen. I groaned at the state of the arm I held out for inspection; it was smeared in blood from the many superficial scrapes, and I knew the rest of me would be in a similar state. But just as I was about to get up to have a painful shower, I caught Godric's glance at my skin. He looked… well, hungry. And to him, I supposed showering it off would be a little like throwing perfectly good food in the bin for no reason. So I held up my arm to him. "Do you want a taste?"

His eyes flickered to mine in surprise.

"I don't mind," I sighed. "You might as well, or it'll just get washed down the drain. Besides, I haven't actually thanked you for coming to my rescue yet so… thank you." I wiggled my arm at him.

A smiled ghosted over his lips as he gently wrapped long, cool fingers around my wrist and upper arm. "That is very kind of you, little one. Thank you." And then he lowered his head, soft lips brushing over my skin, followed by a tongue. A soft moan escaped him as he tasted my blood for the first time.

I had sort of expected it to be a kind of like going to the dentist for a check-up; you sit there, feeling a little awkward while he prods around in your mouth, but at the end of the day it is completely uneventful and looking him in the eye after does not give you any weird feelings.

Having Godric lick my blood off turned out to be nothing like going to the dentist, and it wasn't just because of the small, pleasurable noises he didn't seem to be aware he was making. In hindsight, I probably should have realised that a very attractive male licking me down would be pretty exciting, especially taking into consideration that I hadn't had any of _that_ sort of action for a very long time, but my miserable mood didn't allow for those speculations before Godric's mouth was travelling up my arm, his wet tongue lapping at what seemed to be all the sensitive spots.

When he reached my shoulder he extended his fangs with a _click_, reaching up to poke his index finger with one of them.

"What are you doing?" I asked in surprise, happy to have a short reprieve from the licking that had started to make thinking a laborious chore.

"Healing your skin." His voice was oddly husky, making me wonder if his little noises had been from more than just enjoyment of a nice meal. Before I could contemplate that disturbing thought further, he started tracing his bloody finger lightly up along the scrapes he'd just cleaned, pausing twice to re-open the small wound in his finger as it'd healed up.

"Huh!" I exclaimed as I watched my skin heal before my eyes. How very handy!

"It only works like this for smaller injuries," the vampire noted, before gently grabbing my other arm. "For more severe situations it is necessary to ingest the blood." And then his lips touched the underside of my forearm, and the tingles in my body started again.

"How do I taste?" My question was mainly to stop myself from thinking too much about where else I'd like his skilled lips to venture, but I w_as_ a little curious as to how I was measuring up.

Godric chuckled against my skin, causing shivers to run up my arm, and tilted his head up so he could look at me. "You wish to know if I am enjoying your blood?"

I blushed as I realised that that question was probably another vampire faux-pas. "Sorry; it's got to be a little off-putting having your food talk to you while you're eating."

A full laugh erupted from his throat, and he pulled back from my arm, letting go of it in the process. I took that as a yes.

"Sorry," I sighed, halfway relieved that the intimate moment was over, but also more than a little disappointed.

A knock sounded from the door before he could answer, and I tensed up, memories of the attack flooding my mind.

"It is my underling," Godric stood up from the couch, and I hesitantly followed. "Please, let her in."

I obediently opened the door to find a beautiful Latina woman standing on the other side wearing an off-white trench coat, a black pencil skirt and heels. - And a curious expression.

"Sophie, this is my underling, Isabel. Isabel, this is Sophie," Godric introduced from his position next to me.

"Please, come in, Isabel," I managed, stepping aside so she could enter.

She nodded politely, then focussed on Godric while I closed the door behind her.

"The bodies have been cleaned up, Sheriff, and the survivor is under our possession."

Godric nodded once. "Thank you." He glanced towards me, and I got the distinct impression that my presence was not wanted at that moment in time.

"Er… I'll just go have a shower." I made a vague gesture towards the bathroom. "Please, help yourselves to some TruBlood."

I spent some time letting the warm water rinse the muck and dried blood off my sore body, wincing in the process. There were no serious injuries, but it still hurt to clean the scrapes on the parts of my skin that Godric hadn't healed.

When I emerged from the bathroom I was wearing a bathrobe over a clean tank top-and-shorts sleeping set, and a towel around my damp hair; a choice I instantly regretted when I saw that Isabel was still there. The woman was so classy and beautiful she'd make me feel self-conscious on the best of days, let alone when I was all banged up and wearing a fluffy bathrobe.

"Sophie," Godric, who'd been standing by the kitchen counter, came towards me, his eyes looking me over before he let his fangs slip out and quickly sliced his finger, reaching for me face.

I closed my eyes as he gently brushed over my split eyebrow, lip and bruised cheekbones. The relief was almost instant. Then I felt my bathrobe get tugged loose and startled opened my eyes as it was pushed over my shoulders and down my arms.

Pretty lucky I was wearing my night set underneath it!

Godric continued soothing his blood over the arm he hadn't healed earlier, and then kneeled down so he could get to all the scrapes on the front of my legs.

I desperately tried to look everywhere but Isabel, who was watching us intently while her master moved to the back of me, and I felt his fingers brush over my shoulders before he pulled up my top a bit, getting to the deeper cuts on my lower back where a wolf had torn at my jeans. Thankfully, he didn't continue down to the bottom of them, which I was pretty sure went down on the other side of my shorts' waistband, but kneeled down instead, paying attention to my hamstrings and calves.

When he finally stood up I was beet-red all over, but aching a lot less. "T-thank you," I stuttered.

A small growl escaped his throat. "It will not be necessary again." His voice was uncharacteristically gruff, and I realised that he was doing his best to keep the waves of anger rolling off him under control. "Isabel will stay with you until dawn, and tomorrow my Day-helper will be outside. He will take you anywhere you need to go."

I blinked. Twice. "E-excuse me?"

"I will need to go shortly. I have… business I need to attend to. And you will not be alone again until whoever did this has been apprehended," he stated matter-of-factly, as if it was completely normal behaviour to put your friends under surveillance.

My brows furrowed. "Look, I really appreciate you helping me tonight; the whole getting-eating thing would not have been pleasant, but you can't just…" My voice faltered when I caught his black stare. His pupils had dilated again, leaving only a small ring of mercury in his magnetic eyes.

"I can," he stated bluntly. "And I am. Now, I must go. I will be back tomorrow night." And with that he was out the door, leaving me in stunned silence in front of the female vampire, who was watching me with an amused expression on her beautiful face.

"Well!" I huffed, bending down to pick up my robe and wrap it around me again.

"You will have to excuse the sheriff," she smiled, a Hispanic accent clear in her melodious voice. "He is not in a very good mood."

_He_ was not in a good mood! I snorted and went over to the fridge, my stomach making it clear that it was well past dinnertime. "Would you like a TruBlood?" I offered, noticing that she and Godric hadn't had any while I was in the shower.

"Yes, please."

I pulled one out, popping it in the microwave while I set about fixing myself a sandwich.

While I made it, Isabel wandered around my small house, checking windows, and came back just as I sat down on a barstool by the kitchen counter. I motioned for her to the waiting flask of heated, synthetic blood, and she gracefully sat down next to me.

"So, you and the Sheriff… you are lovers?" she enquired.

I choked on my tuna-mayo sandwich. "Oh, Goddess, no!" I gasped, when I had coughed up the offending food. "We're just friends."

"Hmm." She eyed me with an unreadable expression. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." I flushed slightly at the obvious doubt in her voice. "We talk loads and he's great and all, but it's not like that."

Isabel watched me for a moment more, and then chuckled. "How very… unusual."

I decided to go to bed right after finishing my sandwich to avoid any more awkward conversations with this beautiful stranger.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_You guys are seriously awesome. Here is another monster of a chapter as a thank-you for following my story and generally being amazing._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**7**

I was still a little sore when my alarm woke me up the next morning, but it wasn't too bad, really. I sat up in bed, rubbing sleep out of my eyes and wondered if Godric's 'Day-helper' had actually been put on guard duty.

Yawning, I pulled on my bathrobe and shuffled to the bathroom, and then into the living room to open the door and check.

Outside, a giant of a bald man stood in stoic silence, hands clasped in front of him while his eyes calmly surveyed the area.

Well, shit.

"Morning, ma'am," he politely greeted me, casting a glance at my sleepy face. "I am Ryan. Mr Godric sent me."

"Uh, morning... " I shuddered in the cool morning air. "Coffee?"

He sent me a friendly smile. "Yes, thanks, if you are putting a pot on anyway."

I waited for him to follow me in, but he turned his back to the door again, resuming his guard duties, so I shut it and started making coffee, too tired to try and make any sort of conversation.

After handing Ryan his coffee I quickly got ready for the day, and then stepped out the door. And then I remembered that my little car was still parked in front of the shop.

"Damn it!"

My guard looked at me, alerted.

"Oh, sorry." No need to freak out the giant for no reason. "I just realised that I need to get someone to pick up my car, and that we'll be taking the bus today."

He relaxed his impressive muscles and gestured towards a black pick-up truck parked on the other side of the road. "Mr Godric has informed me that he's taking care of your car, and I will be driving you anywhere you need to go today."

Rolling my eyes I marched over to the truck. 'Mr Godric' was being a little too overbearing for my taste.

But as we drove past the place I'd been dragged into the bushes the night before I felt a deep rush of gratitude towards my youthful vampire friend. Not only had he come running when he realised I was in trouble, he'd also gone far out of his way to ensure that I was as safe and comfortable as he could make me; I mean, that sort of attack wasn't exactly something I could have gone to the police with, at least not without being committed to an insane asylum. I stole a glance at my driver and wondered how much his hourly wage was.

* * *

I was working alone with River that day, and she seemed quite puzzled when I came in, bodyguard in tow.

"Uh… Sophie, who..?" she whispered, when Ryan took up stance towards the entrance of the shop, after having done a sweep of the entire perimeter.

"His name is Ryan… and I guess he's my bodyguard," I sighed. "Godric got a little overprotective after… an incident."

Her brows furrowed and she sent me a careful look. "Sophie… he is not… controlling you, is he?"

I blinked, confused. "Who, Ryan?"

"Godric. You've seen how Skye's changed. Vampires seem quite… possessive. I'd hate for you to become some sort of… pet." The look she sent me made me realise that she was as concerned for me as I was for Skye. It made me feel oddly warm.

I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you; I really, really appreciate it. But no, it's not like that. He is just a really good friend… who's got too much money, I think." I added the last bit to lighten the mood.

River smiled, and seemed to accept my explanation, but didn't lose the concerned look completely. I noticed her study Ryan intently during the day, as if she'd be able to ensure that nothing was out of place by figuring him out.

During the day, the drive home and the early evening I learned that Ryan was actually a nice enough guy, his brutish looks aside. He was also thirty-two, loved gardening and had an on-again off-again relationship with a woman around my age named Betty, who honestly sounded like quite the bitch, but he spoke about her with much warmth.

He'd worked for Godric for two years, he told me, while I was sat perched on the step in front of my house, sipping tea.

"He's alright you know, for a fanger, is Mr Godric," Ryan sighed, eyes sweeping over the night sky where the sun had set a few hours ago. "Pays well, offers health and dental. And he's not like some of them violent fangers you meet, though he's a bit of a cold fish."

"He's the first vampire I've met," I admitted, thinking that I would've never described Godric as a 'cold fish'. Sure, he could be a bit reserved, but many people were like that until you got to know them.

Ryan sent me a quick glance before he resumed his staring at the sky. "I wouldn't have taken you for the sort that got involved with their kind, little lady," he said carefully.

I snorted. "Yeah, I'm not. I sorta met Godric by accident, and I like talking to him. The whole vampire-thing is not really an issue."

He shifted lightly, and I could sense that he was a little uncomfortable. "Just… keep your wits about you, ya hear?" he grumbled. "As I said, Mr Godric is alright, but he _is_ a vampire. And pretty girls tend to end up dead around them."

That was the second time in one day that someone showed some interest in my wellbeing, however misplaced it was. It was a fairly rare experience for me, so I forgave him for being presumptuous and smiled warmly. "I will be fine. Thank you."

He grunted, and we sat in silence for a while, until a _'thud'_ sounded in front of Ryan, and a very sombre-looking Godric suddenly stood on the pathway to my house.

"You should be inside," were his first words.

"Well, hello to you too," I said tartly as I got up from the step, brushed off my bottom and turned to open the door. "Bye, Ryan."

He nodded at my wave, and I went inside. Godric followed shortly after, a white package tucked under one arm and a facial expression as if his grandmother had just died.

Tonight was gonna be lovely, I could just tell.

"TruBlood?" I offered, thinking that a meal might do the grumpy vampire some good.

"No, thank you."

Well, then. I tossed a few books off the couch so we could sit and plopped down on my usual spot, then looked expectantly up at Godric. "So, what's the matter? Did you figure out who's behind the werewolf attack?"

He sat down with a light sigh and handed me the package without replying to my question. "This is for you."

I hesitantly accepted it, stroking my fingers over the expensive-looking, white paper. "It is not Christmas yet, and my birthday was the week before you spotted me at that bar."

His face remained expressionless, and I sighed and removed the red silk ribbon, opening the luxurious wrapping with care.

Inside was a white box with 'Prada' printed on the lid.

I shot him a _very_ warning glare before lifting it off.

The content turned out to be a pile of black silk fabric and two smaller packages, also wrapped in white paper. I lifted up the fabric high enough to see that it was an unquestionably amazing dress before I carefully folded it again and pushed the box towards him. "Thank you, but I can't accept that." It was hard for me not to snap at him; you didn't buy your impoverished friends expensive couture.

Godric sighed. "It is not up for discussion."

A little arrogant there, Mr Vampire?

I pinched my lips tightly together. "Have you ever seen me wear anything remotely similar to this? I appreciate that you're trying to do something nice, but this is way over the line for what I can accept. And frankly, it's a little insulting that you think I would."

"I need you to wear it for the party we will be attending at my home tomorrow night." His tone was calm, with just a hint of gloom.

"I am not going to any party at your home!" I cried, shocked. "A house full of vampires? No thanks! I'm cool with hanging out with you, but my nerves are not up for an entire gathering of you. And what happened to _asking?!_"

His face became, if possible, even darker. "I am not asking because saying no is not an option."

I stared at him, thunderstruck.

"Listen, Sophie, I..." He pinched the bridge of his nose, and I briefly wondered if vampires could get headaches. "I am not going about this right."

No shit.

"Just tell me what's going on, Godric," I said, my voice calmer but still exasperated.

The vampire's gaze lowered to the floor for a brief moment, and when he lifted it again I saw regret in his eyes. "It has become known that I… spend time with you. This means that the supernatural world is aware of your existence, as you experienced last night. So the only thing I can do to protect you now is to publicly claim you as mine so you at least have the full protection of my authority."

Woah! "Yours?!"

"My human. It will mean that I can punish anyone who seeks to do you harm to the fullest extent of the law. It should be enough to deter most."

I blinked. "But… why do they want to hurt me in the first place? Why do they even care who you're friends with?"

His full lips pressed into a narrow line. "I have never taken a human companion before. My interests in you make you an easy target for discontent vampires within my district, witch-covens and any other supernatural being with a grudge. And of course the Fellowship of the Sun, though I doubt that my authority would have an impact on their decisions regarding a human that associates with vampires."

I laughed nervously. "You make it sound like you have an army of enemies!"

His expression darkened further.

My laughter died with a wheeze. "But... you're so… tranquil!"

"Vampire politics," was his only answer.

I rubbed my arms and glanced uncomfortably between him and the dress. "So…do you know how it got out then? And who was behind the attack? And w_hy?_" I didn't much care for the thought of being spied on during the night.

"I do not know who, or how, as of yet. But I will find out." His eyes promised nothing pleasant for whoever turned out to be involved. "As of why you were attacked, it was to hurt me. Having a pack of weres claim you is considered… very humiliating, among vampires. I suspect it was done to test my bond to you."

"What exactly does it mean, to be 'claimed' by werewolves?" I asked, wanting to know as much of this foreign world I seemed to have gotten involved in without ever wanting to.

His nostrils pulled up in a silent sneer before he managed to once again school his expression into a blank mask. "I will not talk about that, Sophie. It is not something I wish for you to think of."

I shuddered, suddenly no longer as curious. Whatever could get a being that'd pulled a man's head clear off without blinking to react that way was not something I wanted to know about.

"So…" I glanced at the dress. "You want me to go to this party so we can continue being friends, without anyone trying to use me to hurt you?" I summarised, needing a bit of an outline.

"In its essence, yes."

Taking a deep breath I pulled the box containing the expensive dress closer. "Okay, then. But I am not happy about this."

The look he gave me was anguished, pent-up behind a wall of anger. "Neither am I, little one."

As there really wasn't much else to do, and neither of us was in a mood to talk that evening, I spent the time drawing the gloomy vampire in charcoal while he sat on my couch; at least he was the perfect model for a heavily shadowed drawing when he was in this mood.

* * *

I must have fallen asleep while drawing, because when I woke up – in my bed – the next morning I had tell-tale smudges of charcoal up my sleeves and was still fully dressed. The last thing I recalled was shading in the shadows underneath Godric's eyes.

I rolled over onto my side to check the time (half past ten), and noticed an unread text.

It was from Godric and simply stated: "Left shortly before dawn. My day-helper is in front of your house. He will stay there until I pick you up at 9."

So I trudged out to the kitchen and made two cups of coffee, taking one out the front door to Ryan, who greeted my cheerily.

The day was spent on a greater maintenance project, interrupted only by making lunch and dinner for Ryan and myself. The fact that it took me this long to become presentable enough to show off at a fancy vampire party was a reflection of the fact that I was normally a very low-key kind of girl, meaning that there were quite a few bits to polish up.

The dress proved to be exquisite, with an empire waistline and delicate creases down the front of the black silk. It was about knee length with sleeves short enough to just cover the rounding of my shoulders and a deep – but not too exaggerated – neckline that in combination with a balconette-bra would show off the top swell of my modest breasts. The only problem was trying to zip it on my own; I pranced around trying to get my arms to strain far enough so I could tug the stubborn mechanism up without ruining the delicate fabric, but ended up giving up after nearly falling over twice. That would just have to wait until Godric arrived.

So the last half hour I spent with my curled hair pulled up in an intricate bun, full makeup and a set of black underwear and my fluffy bathrobe while I waited to get picked up, like some sort of kept woman.

At 20:58 exactly there was a knock on my door, so I turned off the TV – and wished for the hundredth time that evening that I could've just stayed in and watched Sex and the City reruns all night – before I shuffled over to answer the door.

Godric looked a little perplexed over my lack of appropriate clothing when I opened.

"Come on in, I'll need a hand." I waved him in, nodding at Ryan as he made to leave.

The vampire obediently followed me in, giving me a curious glance.

"Hang on a moment." I disappeared into the bedroom where I carefully slipped the dress on before I pattered back out into the living room with my arms over my chest to keep the dress up.

Godric's confusion did not seem to have lessened.

I turned my back to him, rolling my eyes. Men; never had a clue. "Could you zip me up, please? I can't reach."

A short hesitation and then I felt his cool fingers brush over my back as the fabric closed around me.

Goosebumps covered my body before he was done.

Turning back around, I smiled at him. "Thanks. So, what do you think?" I did a quick twirl and then waited while he took in the overall impression, my face quickly becoming red-hot as his eyes slowly travelled down my body and back up, resting at my necklace; a silver pentagram in sterling silver.

He cast a questioning glance at my face, and I raised an eyebrow at him in silent challenge. Yeah, it was definitely a 'fuck you all sooo much' gesture; my small bit of defiance for having to go through this charade.

But Godric only shrugged and proceeded to give my appearance another good once-over. "You are exquisite." His voice was soft and made me writhe and giggle, like a damn teenager.

"Thanks. You're also quite handsome," I replied, still blushing. He was wearing white canvas trousers and a white shirt, which was opened enough to reveal a little of the tattoo he had around his neck. The sleeves were, as always, pushed up to his elbows, which should have taken a bit off the pristine look, but on him it didn't matter in the slightest; he was still drop-dead gorgeous.

"Thank you, little one." His eyes flickered to my bare feet.

"Oh. I wasn't sure if you really meant for me to put on the shoes that were in the box?" I explained.

He gave me a questioning look.

"Er, they're pretty high. I'll tower over you in them."

He chuckled. "I do not mind."

Pouting, because I hated high heels, I stomped back into the bedroom to put them on, checked that everything was in my small clutch (which had been in the other little package in the dress box) and went back out to Godric again. "Alright, let's get this over with." I was such an optimistic person.

I was planning on spending the drive to Godric's home asking him about what I should expect from the evening, but as it turned out I was too busy clinging on to the passenger seat and sending silent prayers to the Goddess, because Godric was not what you'd call a law-abiding driver.

When he finally turned into the driveway at the exquisite estate and parked the Audi I sunk back in the seat with a relieved sigh before flipping down the passenger side mirror to check that my makeup was still in place.

It was in that moment I felt cool fingers on my left wrist, followed by heavy metal. A c_lick _made me look down, only to discover the very expensive-looking and _extremely_ noticeable sapphire-and-white gold bracelet Godric had fastened around my forearm.

My eyes slowly found his, but he only sighed at the silent threat in them, promising him all sorts of hell if he didn't get that ridicules piece of jewellery off me immediately.

"Absolutely _no!"_ I hissed. "I accepted the dress because you made me, but this is too much!"

"It is that or fang marks on your neck," he replied calmly.

That made me pause. "Excuse me?!"

"You are here as my companion. I can claim you publically by walking your around with my fang marks displayed for everyone to see, or by proving that you have monetary value to me," was the short – and rather unpleasant – explanation.

I stared at the bracelet that took up half of my forearm. "So it's a sort of a collar? Like for a pet?"

He sighed, deeper this time. "Essentially, yes."

I bit my bottom lip, not that sure I wanted to learn anything more about vampires' social norms. "You are getting it back the second this evening is over."

"If you prefer. Are you ready?"

Nodding I went to open the door, but before my hand reached the handle he was already out of the car and had pulled my door open.

As soon as I was out of the car he offered me his arm, and off we went to my first – and hopefully last – vampire party.

Stepping into the hall was a bit of a déjà vu, except that I wasn't stared at because I was dripping blood everywhere this time, but because I was accompanying the area's boss. Even though it was definitely some sort of improvement, being on the receiving end of the attention of all those vampires was still pretty uncomfortable, and I felt heat gather in my cheeks and chest.

"Good evening, sheriff." A couple of vampires came over to us, respectfully bending their heads at Godric before glancing obviously at my neck – and the pentagram- and finally the bracelet.

"Helda, Larmallin, welcome back to my home. Allow me introduce my human, Sophie Hartt."

Godric's voice was polite but detached, and I stuttered a hello, only to receive two stiff nods and then get completely ignored before a new couple walked up and the procedure was repeated. Names and faces quickly blurred out in my memory, except for when Isabel stood in front of us, a human male at her side. His name was Hugo, and he kindly offered to get me a glass of water (as I refused wine), and then another familiar face appeared in front of us.

The tall, blonde Nordic god looked all kinds of hunky in a dark grey suit that sat as if sculptured on his lithe body, and he had a pretty, blonde girl on his arm who, besides looking like she was exactly as excited about being there as I was, was also the first human companion I'd seen who'd been marked with a piece of jewellery (a giant, gold necklace incrusted with rubies) instead of fangs.

"Eric, Sophie, I am certain you remember each other?" Godric asked, still without any sign of having any interest in the party or the introductions he made.

I smiled happily up at Eric, who only gave me a cold glare before focussing on Godric again.

"Godric, may I introduce you to my human, Sookie Stackhouse?"

Sookie smiled brightly at Godric as he nodded at her, and then turned to me, clasping her hands around mine – as the first person to make any sort of skin contact the entire evening. "Oh hello, how wonderful to meet you! Eric speaks so fondly of Godric, so it is great to see the girl he's, uh, with. Have you two been together long?"

Oh, the poor girl was also affected by spontaneous, verbal diarrhoea in awkward, social settings. I could so relate.

Eric's cold, blue eyes flickered to his little companion in a way that more than indicated his unhappiness with the girl's outburst, and I could sense that Godric had stiffened next to me as she touched me.

Oh, to hell with it! Deciding to save her from complete disaster – because it's always better to be two on a sinking raft than one – I removed my free hand from Godric's arm and placed it on top of hers.

Immediately I sensed a vibrating life force radiating through her, and couldn't hold back a big, genuine smile. Sookie practically glowed with life. "Thank you so much. It is such a pleasure to meet Eric's, er, companion. He saved me from the Fellowship of the Sun this summer, so you can imagine how much gratitude I have towards him. And, well, I've known Godric since then, really."

I felt a hand on the small of my back, which was probably a sign to stop talking, but once you got started on these ramblings it really wasn't that simple to just stop.

Sookie's face divulged a moment's gratefulness and her smile turned quite a bit more genuine, before she continued: "Oh, I can imagine! He saved me too, you know. From being shot. Oh my, your bracelet is fantastic!"

"Oh, thank you so much!" I managed to get out between clenched teeth. "Godric gave it to me – he spoils me too much." And if he did it again I'd put iodine in his next TruBlood.

The little blonde in front of me seemed to be masking a laugh behind a cough. Why, I wouldn't know.

"Your necklace is one of the most impressive things I've seen in a long time," I continued gushing, which technically wasn't a lie. It _was_ an impressive piece of jewellery, though it was as exorbitant as my bracelet and therefore not exactly my style.

To my surprise – and delight – she didn't seem all that comfortable accepting my praise for what was practically a dog collar, either. "I know, Eric is s_uch_ a big spender!" she managed.

I was acutely aware of the two, frozen vampires next to us and of the fact that we were without a doubt drawing some attention from the surrounding vampires with our breach on vampire etiquette. Unfortunately, the only way forwards from this point was to either just leg it out of there, or continue to complement each other's attire, and I could tell from the panicked look in Sookie's eyes that she'd reached the same, horrifying realisation. But at the last moment, seconds before I was about to open my mouth and ask her about her shoes, my brain decided to come to the rescue; there were two places in this house a pair of human females could go without being escorted by their vampire companions, and since I couldn't really ask a girl I'd just met to accompany me to the bathroom, I exclaimed: "Oh my, I am s_o_ hungry after all these introductions!"

Because nothing builds an appetite as standing around being bored out of your skull, occasionally nodding and smiling.

Thankfully, Sookie caught on to my plan immediately and jumped in. "Oh, me too, I'm absolutely starved!"

Our good fortune continued, because Godric regained the ability to speak at that point. "There is a kitchen down the hallway to the right, on your left hand. Human food is offered there," he informed us, still in a cool – and somewhat stiff – tone.

I smiled brightly at him and was just about to follow his directions without further thought, when Sookie quickly turned to Eric. "Eric, would it be acceptable if I ate now?"

He nodded stiffly.

Oh, right, yes. I'd forgotten that I was here as someone's property. With as much of a submissive expression as I could muster after _that_ aggravating thought I turned towards Godric. "Would it be fitting for me to have a quick meal now?"

His mercury eyes looked up into my green ones with an expression I couldn't quite decipher (but I guessed that he was somewhat pissed off after the performance he'd just been privy to) and nodded once before he let his hand drop from the small of my back and turned to Eric.

Sookie and I fled as fast we could towards the kitchen without falling down from our ridicules heels.

We were, thankfully, the only ones in the room and attached hallway when we arrived, because I collapsed over the kitchen counter, gasping for air through hysterical giggles.

"Oh, I know!" Sookie groaned, leaning heavily against the now-closed door. "My goodness, that was awful!"

"I kept hoping that _one_ of them would step in, but it just kept circling the drain!" I hiccupped, sensing my mascara descending to my cheeks.

The blonde wiped down her forehead. "Thank you so much for boarding the sinking ship with me. Oh, Eric will not be fun to handle later."

The thought that he might hurt her ended my giggle fit and I glanced at her worriedly, wondering if Godric could intervene.

"He'll just shout a bit," she sighed, as if she'd read my thoughts. "But he is so tiresome to talk to when he's in a mood."

I watched her for a short while to see if I could trace any lies on her face, but she looked honest enough so I turned my attention to the buffet that was laid out on a table against one of the walls.

"So how did you meet Godric?" she asked while we ate, both leaning against the kitchen counter on bare feet.

"Well, I saw him the first time back with that Fellowship of the Sun disaster, but it hasn't been more than… about three-four weeks since we bumped into each other at a bar. And you and Eric?"

She looked a little uncomfortable, which she tried to hide between a big, fake smile. "He owns a vampire bar in a town not too far from where I live. He saw me there. Are you a witch?"

I blinked at the sudden subject change.

"Sorry, I know that that's probably a bit of a weird question, but considering that you're in the middle of an awful lot of vampires…" She nodded at my necklace.

"Oh." My fingers found the pendant. "No, I'm not a witch. But I _am_ spiritual, so it's sorta the same as wearing a cross." I thought of the petty satisfaction I got by wearing my little 'fuck you' symbol.

She giggled. "I like that it's silver…"

I couldn't hold back a big grin. Oh, I definitely liked Sookie Stackhouse – even though she did have better boobs than me.

Her face lit op with a warm expression. "Listen, would you want to take a little trip around Dallas with me tomorrow and do something? While they sleep? We aren't leaving before tomorrow night."

"Yeah, that'd be great." I put my plate down, wiped my hands in a napkin and pulled out my phone. "What's your number?"

She told me, and I sent her a text so she'd have my number, and then we agreed to go to the bathroom to freshen up before heading back to the boring-as-fuck party.

But as we exited the bathroom – now without panda eyes – we ran into an unfamiliar vampire; literally. Sookie collided head-first with his massive chest, and stumbled backwards.

"Well hello there, little breather," he hissed, extending his fangs with a loud _click_. "You smell amazing… what do you say to a little taste?"

Sookie gulped. "I'm Eric Northman's."

"But Mr Northman's not here right now," he purred while backing her towards the wall by the bathroom door.

"_Oi_, moron!" I poked my finger into his chest, hard. "Hands off!"

His cold gaze immediately moved to me. "Easy there, sugar, I'll get to you too."

"She's Godric's," Sookie squeaked. "You can't touch her!"

He snorted. "As if the sheriff has any interest in a human girl. No, how about _I_ take care of you, babe?"

I slapped him, because that's what you do with creepsters, and heard Sookie scream for Eric.

He caught me around the neck with a big fist, but let go with a hiss when my silver necklace burnt him. Rage suddenly burning in his eyes he pulled me towards him, snarling, and I closed my eyes trying to prepare for the pain.

But it never came. I was released and staggered backwards, only to open my eyes to the sight of our attacker hanging in the air above a pissed-looking Godric, who had his hand around his throat and his fangs menacingly bared.

"Sophie. Is. _Mine._" He had only raised his voice a little over its normal pitch, but it was indefinitely more lethal. "You dare come into _my _home and try to take what is _mine?_"

A rattling sound was all that was emitted from the other vampire.

Godric tossed him to the floor where he huddled on his knees with his head bent. "Forgive me, sheriff. I-I… I didn't think."

The smaller vampire looked down at him with disgust. "No. You did not think. If you as much as smell her or my Child's human ever again I will snap you like a twig. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes, sheriff. Thank you, sheriff," the attacker gasped.

Godric's fangs were retracted with a _click_. "Get out of my house, get out of my territory. Stan, ensure that he has left Dallas come dawn." He turned around as a stocky guy wearing a cowboy hat escorted the shivering vampire out, and I realised that we'd gathered quite a bit of an audience.

"Does anyone _else_ want to try and lay claim to my human?"

Power practically rolled off him in waves, and to my great embarrassment I could feel moisture starting to pool between my legs. My inner feminist was not happy, but _fuck_, his power was sexy!

Within seconds the hallway was cleared, save for Eric and Sookie.

"Were you hurt?" Godric approached me, casting an investigative glance over me to see if I had any injuries.

I shook my head, strangled my inappropriate thoughts and sent him a cheeky grin. "My hand hurts a bit after I slapped him…"

I could hear Eric scoff behind me, but Godric sent him _a look_, and I knew we were alone seconds later.

"What have I said about provoking vampires?" To my surprise his voice had a single note of amusement.

"That it's OK as long as they aren't sleeping?" I teased.

He offered me a small smile. "Come. If you can manage a couple of hours more, and preferably without you and Ms Stackhouse being within earshot of each other, we should return." His voice was dry, and I laughed.

"'I'm really sorry, it got a little out of control. But, Godric… this party is _bo-ring!_"

"I am fully aware, little one."

"When are you taking me home?"

He started walking back towards the party, and I put my hand on his arm; after the experience with the other vampire I was _completely_ ok with clinging on to Godric for the rest of the night.

"You can take the car we drove here in tomorrow when you wake up, if you do not wish to wait until sunset so I can take you home, but you will have to stay here for the night."

I stopped abruptly. "What?!"

He sighed softly, and I got the distinct impression that this was another detail – like the bracelet – that he'd purposely not mentioned before I was already stuck. "You are here as my companion, Sophie. It is expected that you stay the night."

Oh.

_Oh!_

I shot him a scorching glare. "You are so taking me on another flying trip for this."

A smile pulled on the corners of his mouth. "Naturally."

The rest of the evening was boring and uneventful, which of course was preferable to almost becoming a vampire-snack for some random, fanged guy, but at three o clock in the morning I was starting to fall asleep, standing up on my - at this point - pretty sore feet.

Godric seemed to notice, and I leaned happily into him when an iron grip pulled around my waist.

"Bed. _Now._" It was an unexpected growl, because he'd been in the middle of a conversation with three other vampires about something deeply uninteresting, and was filled with heady undertones.

My tired brain let my body react on instincts, instead of stepping in like a helpful adult, and my flesh was covered in goosebumps as an involuntary shiver shot down my spine and landed between my thighs in a place that seemed to remember its excitement from earlier that evening.

My eyes automatically sought out Godric's. They had a dark gleam as he, with an arm around my waist and the power that suddenly seemed to vibrate off him, made me back up a couple of steps before he let go of my middle, grabbed my bracelet-free forearm and started pulling me across the floor so I almost tripped a few times.

What the actual fuck?!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**8**

When we were out of sight from the many guests, somewhere down a dark corridor, he released his grip on my arm and slowed down so I was no longer stumbling along like a toddler after their parent, and the waves of power I'd felt penetrate my body just moments ago vanished. The confusion over the sudden shift back to his normal, calm self woke my brain up enough to realise that he'd just been putting on an act, to ensure that his claim on me seemed legit while giving me an excuse to leave the party and go to bed.

It was a rather deflating realisation.

We finally stopped in front of a door that he unlocked with a key he'd fished up from his trouser pocket. He handed it to me and followed me inside the room.

"There should be some garments to sleep in, as well as a few changes of clothing in the closet." He nodded towards a big, modern-looking monstrosity of a closet made from some form of metal and a white plastic-woody material – a design theme that seemed to be reoccurring all through Godric's home. "Isabel took care of this when she bought your dress."

Unsure if I was relieved or freaked out that he'd had his employee pick out clothes for me rather than doing it himself (there was just something creepy about the thought of a guy picking out a dress for me) I sat down on the bed and kicked off the heels.

"I really don't understand this part of your life, Godric," I admitted.

The vampire sighed. "I would have preferred that you never experienced it." He crouched down, leaning against the closet. "It is more violent than you will like."

That reminded me of the episode earlier in the evening, when he'd lifted up the massive vampire by the neck as if he didn't weigh more than a kitten. "Could you really have snapped that vampire like a twig?"

His dark eyelashes lowered over his grey eyes. "Yes."

"How? I mean, he must have weighed twice as much as you do."

A joyless smile pulled his lips up. "I am older. Age means power in our world."

"_Would_ you have? If he defied you?"

He stared straight ahead, at what looked like my shoes, but I very much doubted that those instruments of torture had captured his interest. "Yes."

"Why?"

Godric gave me a look I couldn't interpret, but it held bitterness. "For disrespecting my authority. But he understood, so it was not necessary. I assume the reason he tried in the first place was that he thought my lack of history with human companions meant I would be less possessive."

I shuddered; he was right, I didn't care much for this world. But I cared for _him._ "Godric… how old are you?"

His storm grey gaze locked in mine. "Why do you wish to know?"

Because there's no reason for keeping it a secret, vamp-boy!

"Because it would help me understand you better. Or, so I think, at least."

The dark-haired vampire watched me silently for a moment. "I am very old. Most humans can not relate to it."

I shrugged. "I know that there are lots of vampires who are centuries old, and yeah, it'd freak me out a little – ok, a lot - if you were in the Civil War or something like that, because when I first saw you I thought you were this innocent boy and that's a little hard to shake, but I want to get to know _you_, and not just guess who you are, and I honestly don't think I can do that if I don't have some point of reference as to your age."

After that, rather impressive, rant the silence spread between us for what felt like forever.

"I do not know my exact age," he finally said. "But I am more than two thousand years old. Probably closer to twenty-one hundred years."

It felt like someone kicked me in the gut; all the air went out of me with a '_woosh_', and for a long moment all I could do was sit there and gape at the man who'd always looked like a young guy to me.

- And I really mean a _long_ moment.

Godric watched me expressionlessly while I stared unattractively at him - mouth open -, waiting for me to digest that information.

"Holy. Fucking. Cow!" were the first words that escaped me. Nice choice, brain.

And then it hit me; the being in front of me was a_ncient_. I slid down on my knees to the floor and respectfully lowered my head. "It is such an honour." It was nothing more than a whisper.

A cool finger was placed under my chin, lifting up my face. Unfathomable eyes stared into mine, and I could suddenly not understand how I'd ever seen a child in his face. "_That_ reaction is new." His tone was light. "But I must maintain that the honour is mine."

"But, Godric, you are more than _two thousand_ years old!" I stuttered lamely. Well, thank you, captain obvious.

His deep laugh filled the room. "I am aware."

"A-are you _the_ oldest?"

"No." He moved his finger from my chin. "But I am one of the oldest in the New World, and there are not _many_ who are older anywhere in the rest of the world."

"I can't even begin to imagine what you've experienced," I admitted. "All the things you've seen."

His gaze fell back to my shoes and we sat in silence while I contemplated how it must have been to see history change around you.

"So... have you met any famous people? Historical figures?" My curiosity slowly started to sprout when I realised that the man had to be some sort of walking history book. Not that history had interested me that much in school, but this was just something else entirely.

Godric shrugged. "Kings, queens, military- and political leaders. I have never had much interest in the leading powers prior to the Great Revelation. Martin Luther King was an interesting acquaintance, though."

"Did you know him well?"

"No. I spoke with him for a few hours one night."

I sighed, a little frustrated with the lack of enthusiasm from his side, but I supposed that there was a difference between learning about world-changing events and living them. They had to just seem like every-day stuff when you were in the middle of them. "Have you really not met any more, interesting people?"

His eyes rose to meet mine again. "You."

Heat blossomed in my cheeks, so I stuck out my tongue at him. "Oh yes, I'm sure I must be a wonder of conversational wisdom in comparison to, say, Abraham Lincoln."

"I believe that I have told you on a previous occasion that I have never met as fascinating a person as you?" he enquired, with a gentle voice that did nothing to help ease my blush.

"You should get out more," I muttered, uncomfortable with the praise.

Godric leaned back, so we were no longer sitting as closely together, but his eyes were still on mine. I briefly wondered if he could sense my discomfort with too much intensity.

"I have travelled the entire world for millennia, and I thought I had seen everything there was in it. Until I met you. I think we can safely assume that it is because you are special – even though you do not accept compliments very well."

I lowered my eyelids and made an evasive gesture with my shoulders. "Well, I can't see it."

"And I thought I was the one who was unable to See?" He was teasing me. The two thousand year old vampire was Goddess-help-me sat there, baiting me. Gently, but still provoking.

I glared angrily at him, which only managed to get a mild chuckle from his full lips.

And suddenly, it was really difficult not to stare at them. I wondered if they would feel soft or hard against mine.

_Oh, dear!_ Before, my 'he is a teenager' mantra had quickly pulled my thoughts from such speculations, but you really couldn't call a two thousand year old soul for 'teenager', no matter how well he kept. A two thousand year old soul who found extraordinarily uninteresting, twenty+four year old me fascinating. If he just hadn't been so damn _hot!_

"What is on your mind?"

His soft voice sent shivers through me, and I shuddered involuntarily; and then froze. What the hell was I thinking?! What was the chance that someone like me would ever get to know a being like Godric? 0 to never-ever-gonna-freaking-happen, and still, here I sat in front of him, speaking to him and soaking up his serene charisma. And there was just no way that my overactive hormones would get to ruin this for me.

I smiled at him. "That I probably can't complain about you calling me 'little one' again, even if I started to wear high heels ever day."

A soft laughter rumbled through his chest. "You _are_ a little one, to me."

I noisily blew out air. "All humans have to be. And quite a few vampires."

He didn't comment, and I started to feel the tiredness return, which resulted in a long, drawn-out yawn.

"Go to bed," he encouraged gently.

It sounded like a rather splendid idea, so I got to my feet and turned my back to Godric. "Would you mind unzipping me?"

He got up with enviable grace and undid my dress, and I trudged towards the en-suite bathroom.

It wasn't quite as big as the one adjoining to Godric's bedroom, but it was stocked up with toilet paper, and a new toothbrush, toothpaste and an array of facial cleaning liquids and moisturizers were laid out, as well as a big bath towel.

I decided to postpone the shower for the next day and settled on just washing the makeup off my face and cleaning my teeth.

When I returned, Godric had left the room and placed a set of car keys on the pillow. Stepping out of the dress I opened the closet to look for something to sleep in.

There were about ten outfits in there, of which only one could even remotely be considered sleepwear, and that was a bit of a stretch. I eyed the black silk camisole with my nose scrunched up; Isabel seemed to have a rather expensive taste. I'd have preferred a cotton T-shirt.

Sighing, I pulled it on and clambered into the best bed I'd ever lain in. It wasn't ten minutes before I was out cold.

* * *

The sun had been up for quite a while when I woke up again, but I couldn't tell exactly how long for from the light entering the room, as a UV-protective layer covered the window, breaking up the light in a different frequency too normal glass.

I was tempted to just stay in the amazing bed all day, but when I remembered that I had made plans with Sookie I managed to roll out of the duvet and stomp to the shower.

An hour later – and dressed in designer clothing that had no doubt cost more than three months of my rent – I started tracking down the kitchen for some breakfast while texting Sookie to see when and where she wanted to be picked up.

To my great surprise she was sat in a barstool eating scrambled eggs when I finally found the kitchen, a cup of coffee at her side.

"Uh, hey!"

My tone or surprised face must have given my shock away over not being alone in the house (minus Godric's sleeping form), because she smiled and said: "Eric and I stayed here."

"Oh." Of course, it wasn't exactly like the house was too small to house guests. I eyed her cup. "Is there any more of that around?"

She nodded towards a complicated-looking coffee machine, and I considered it for a while with my head tilted while grumpily wondering why the hell they'd make a coffee machine that required an advanced diploma in engineering to figure out.

Sookie chuckled from behind me and came to the rescue. "It took me a good fifteen minutes to make it work," she admitted, while pointing out the department with already-made coffee.

With a cup of coffee in my hand I started sifting through the cupboards, and ended up making myself some oatmeal with cream and hazelnuts. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to see today?" I asked the other woman, while I tried to recall what sort of attractions Dallas had to offer.

She shrugged. "It really doesn't matter – I'd just like to get out for a bit."

So when we were done eating and had cleaned up our dishes I grabbed my clutch from the night before and the car keys Godric'd left for me, and out the front door we went.

The area was even more fabulous in the winter sun, and I sighed lightly at the sight of the silver Audi waiting for us in the driveway. I really couldn't wrap my head around this level of wealth.

"I live in a run-down house outside Bon Temps, Louisiana," Sookie noted. "My car could fit inside that one twice."

I laughed shortly at her guessing my thoughts and opened the driver-side door. "The only things I own is an ancient – and currently out of commission – car and some furniture that'd probably be worth more as firewood."

It took me a little while to adjust the seat and mirrors, not to mention figuring out what all the buttons did. Finally, and in what I was pretty sure was the slowest pace that car had ever moved at, I rolled us out into the street and headed towards the centre of Dallas.

When we had driven for about a mile Sookie suddenly exclaimed: "There's something I have to tell you."

I glanced at her curiously before re-focussing on the road. "Oh?"

"I'm a telepath; I can read peoples' minds."

Well, fuck. I sincerely hoped that I hadn't thought anything insulting about her while she'd been around. "So some sort of a witch?"

She snorted. "No. It's… a different kind of magic - one I can't control. I was born with it. And no, you are actually pretty much the first person I've met when around vampires who haven't had anything condescending to say about me." She gave me a careful smile. "Which is why I don't feel right being a part of whatever it is Eric's got planned."

I gave her a startled look, which made the car swerve. I quickly locked my eyes back on the road, but my heart was beating somewhat quicker; I had the _very _clear feeling that I didn't want to be subjected to any plans the tall Viking could come up with.

"He brought me to Dallas to listen in on your thoughts in order to figure out what your connection to Godric is."

My connection to Godric? "He was there when I met Godric! My connection to him is that we were freaking cellmates!"

"I think he thinks that you'll take advantage of him in some way. He mentioned that Godric hasn't had a pe.. a companion before."

Annoyed, I pinched my lips together. "But, you see, I'm _not_ Godric's pet – or anything else, for that matter. Why doesn't he just ask Godric? We're just friends, and the only reason that I even went to that stupid party yesterday, with that ridicules bracelet, is that vampire politics apparently are a lot more violent than first anticipated."

"I know," she said, softly. "And I told Eric. But he is very protective of his Maker, and… he's a vampire."

His Maker? Did that mean that Godric had been the one to Change him? It would make sense, in hindsight, with the way Eric acted around the shorter vampire.

I sighed, already really, really tired of vampires' social interactions. "Well, it'll have to be his own, damn problem. I don't have any intentions of ever being a part of that carnival act ever again."

Sookie was quiet for a very long time, and I could almost _feel_ her internal struggle.

In the end I shot her a sideways look. "_I_ can't read _your_ thoughts. What is it that you'd rather not say?"

She exhaled noisily. "You won't like it, and I would like to be your friend."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, now you _have_ to tell me, or I'll just start coming up with all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories."

The blonde looked at me hesitantly. "You say that you're just Godric's friend, and I know what you mean – for you it's just a normal friendship. And it probably is friendship for him too, I wouldn't be able to say – I can't read the minds of vampires. But I don't… I don't think you understand how they a_re._"

"Godric's a total gentleman, if that's what you are implying," I assured her, thinking of the many rumours floating around about vampy sexdrives.

Her lips twitched slightly. "No, that wasn't what I meant. They are... very possesive. And manipulative. It is part of their racial dynamics. And that doesn't mean that I don't like them!" she quickly added, probably when she heard my puzzlement over what she was doing with one if that was her perspective.

"I have met quite a few who have good sides to them – even Eric. And no, I am not 'with' him. He pays me to use my telepathy once in a while, that's it. But every single one of them... you don't understand how manipulative their nature is. I used to be like you – I met a really nice guy who just happened to be a vampire. And it wasn't until recently that I understood how he'd been manipulating me to get what he wanted from the first time he met me."

I stole a glance at her. "Couldn't you say the same things about a lot of humans?"

She sighed deeply. "Not even remotely in the same way – unless of course they have sociopathic tendencies. I know I'm not explaining this very well, and if someone had told me the same thing when I'd just met Bill I wouldn't have taken it seriously either. But I wish that someone had at least tried."

She seemed so sincerely concerned for me that a wave of gratitude washed through me.

"Thank you. For trying. I will at least try to notice if anything like that should happen, even though I don't think that Godric is into that sort of… games." He was simply too old to try and manipulate people. I mean, after 2000 years it would have to seem so childish.

Sookie smiled at me sadly, and I knew that she still worried for me, but we dropped the subject and spent the rest of the day sightseeing and shopping.

* * *

"Shoot, the sun has set," the little blonde said when a short break happened to occur in our otherwise non-stop conversation. She looked out the café's window at the horizon, where it was almost completely dark.

"Don't you have like 8 hours before your flight takes off?" I asked, confused.

She sighed. "Yeah, but Eric asked me to be back by sunset."

I shot her an incredulous look. "Why?"

Sookie shrugged. "Because he is a dominating arse."

I laughed loudly at her beaming smile. "He can sod off. It's not like he has any idea where we are, so we might as well go to the movies." She had previously mentioned a movie she'd like to watch as we passed a poster of it.

Her face fell. "That's the problem – he can easily find me."

My eyebrows shot up.

"He gave me his blood once, so now he can find me with a few yards' accuracy," she explained.

...

What the...

"What?"

"Oh, there are all kinds of benefits from drinking vampire blood. I was sort of dying, so he gave me his blood. But one of the effects is that he can sense where I am _all_ the time. So running away is a little difficult."

I blinked several times while the image of sitting on Godric's bed with his bloody wrist against my lips played on repeat in my brain.

Sookie went quiet at the other side of the table, and I was pretty sure that she could see the image in my head.

"He didn't tell you about the effects?" she questioned softly.

I shook my head while I felt something of ice form in my stomach.

She sighed. "Oh, well it is worth it when it is the only thing that can save your life. I would have been dead without Eric."

"But that's exactly the problem," I whispered. The coldness had crept into my voice. "I could have easily gone to the hospital. I _told him_ that I'd rather go to the hospital. In no way was I dying."

"Oh." She obviously didn't know what to say.

"What other effects are there, Sookie?"

"Well, besides all the health benefits, they can sense our emotions, they will seem more attractive to us and… well, I'm sure you're aware of the dreams," she listed.

Son of a..!

I took a moment to pull myself together. "And is it permanent?"

This time she shook her head. "Not after just the one time. It fades over time, but I think the last thing to go is their ability to sense where we are. How long it takes depends on the vampire's age and the amount of blood you drank."

I stood up from the table. "Let's drive you back."

She nodded and followed me to the car. The trip back passed in silence.

Sookie radiated nervousness from every fibre as she pattered in front of me on the way to the living room, and she quickly disappeared behind Eric, who got up from the white designer sofa when we entered.

"Sookie," he said, a crease evident in his forehead. "I asked you to be here by sundown."

Godric, who had sat conversing with him and Isabel, stood up as well. His face got a concerned frown when he saw my expression. "Sophie, are…"

He fell silent when my hand slapped against his cheek with as much strength as I could possibly muster. I'd never hit anyone as hard as I hit him, which of course came right back to bite me in the arse as his face was hard as rock.

I cussed loudly when pain paralysed my hand, and tossed his car keys on the floor, sending them flying over the smooth parquet.

"I don't e_ver_ want to see you again!" I hissed, before I turned around and stormed out of his living room, out of his house and out of his life.

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_I know this wasn't exactly the development most of you hoped for after the last chapter's build-up, but please don't hate me!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**9**

I couldn't remember ever being so angry before.

I had _trusted_ him, and this entire time he had been some creepy vampire stalker-type! Oh Goddess, I'd s_lept_ while he was in my house!

But as angry as I was with him, I was even more furious with myself, for being so fucking naïve. He had practically been a stranger when I invited him into my home, and I _knew_ better! I was an adult, and I _knew_ not to trust people. Especially not people that seemed too good to be true; I'd learnt that lesson the very, very hard way before.

I swallowed, willing my thoughts away from _that_ particular train wreck of a trip down memory lane.

Of course, I could be ever as much of an adult - I would never have had a chance of not being outsmarted by a 2000 year old vampire.

That fucking _arsehole!_

Mentally going over every encounter I'd had with him since I drank his blood, now adding the knowledge that he'd known every single emotion I'd had, or where I'd been, I stomped down the road from Godric's house, not really caring that I'd have to walk the entire way home as I didn't have enough cash on me for a taxi; I needed to walk off some of the rage anyway.

A '_swoosh_' sounded from behind me, and suddenly Godric was standing on the road a few yards in front of me.

"Did you not hear me saying that I didn't want to see you again?" I snarled, before taking a step to the side so I could get around him.

He mirrored my movement so he continued to block my passage. "Loud and clear. But you forgot to explain why."

I stepped to the other side, and he followed me again. Fine! Angrily I stomped straight ahead, fully determined to push him aside with my shoulder.

Unfortunately, the result was pretty much the same as what trying to bully a three ton rock off the road would have been, and I stumbled backwards.

Godric caught me lightly by the elbow until I regained my balance, but was smart enough to let go immediately after that.

"If you want out of my life…" His voice was still velvety, but with a darker quality than normal. "… You will not see me again. But I cannot let you go before I know what I have done to wrong you, so I can try to make it right."

I glared at him with all the rage roiling in my gut. "What you have done to wrong me?! You made me drink your blood, you sociopathic bastard!"

He blinked, surprised.

"Sookie told me what that means. She told me that you can _feel my emotions_ and know exactly where I am at any given time. _And that is fucking creepy!"_

"You were injured," he deadpanned.

"_You could have taken me to the hospital!"_ I was aware that I was screaming at that point. I didn't give a flying fuck. "You know, where injured humans go! It might have taken a little longer to heal, but I wouldn't have had a fucking tracking device in me!"

He was staring at me for a long time before he whispered: "I did not see it like that."

I had expected that he'd try to convince me that it wasn't that bad or that I was overreacting. When I saw pure anguish flicker at the back of his eyes something in my heart twisted in response.

"I... felt a connection to you, and I... You are the only one who has ever risked their life to protect mine, except for Eric, and he is my Child." He took a deep, unnecessary breath. "I wanted to give you a gift. Pain free healing, improved senses... pleasure."

Realising that the last bit referred to the dreams I snorted sarcastically. "It was horrible."

"I know." His voice was very quiet. "I had not given a human my blood for sixteen hundred years, without turning them. I did not realise exactly how powerfully my blood would affect you."

I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him with all the mistrust that was boiling in my body. "So you are saying that you gave me your blood as a present?"

Godric breathed deeply and looked up to the night sky before his eyes found mine again. "Not purely. I was curious; I wanted to feel you, feel what you did. Try to understand what made you get in the way of those stakes. And I wanted to make sure that I could see you again. Make sure that no harm could come to you. I… I never thought that it would violate you."

"You didn't think that it would be a massive violation to have insight into another being's feelings? Without as much as asking them first?" I asked, incredulous.

"I have never spared it any consideration; I have spent a very, very long time taking what I wanted, without asking," he admitted, guilt clear on his features. "It seems that I still have much to learn about empathy."

"Damn right," I mumbled, not even a little bit happy with the fact that the burning anger in my stomach was starting to cool off. "Why the hell didn't you just ask for my phone number?"

His eyes were pleading. "Sophie, I understand that I have wronged you. I... I try very hard to behave conscientiously, but it is difficult to change so many years' worth of habits, instincts. Tell me how I can make this right and I will."

I stared at the ground in front of his feet. What he was saying sounded so much like what Sookie had said about manipulation being part of their nature.

"I don't know how I will ever be able to trust you again," I said, honestly. "If you had been human, what you've done would classify you as having a very dangerous, mental instability."

"I am not human." His voice carried centuries of pain.

And my – without a doubt stupid – heart bled for him.

He had warned me, hadn't he? That night on the roof. He had really tried to tell me that he wasn't like me, and I just hadn't understood his warning.

So the question was really if I wanted to keep him in my life, knowing this.

Slowly I stepped forward, lifting my eyes to his face and then my left hand, lightly pressing it against his cheek.

His eyes flickered shut as I started focusing on my breathing and opening up for the Universe.

The great, golden fire that was his soul appeared for my inner eye quicker than last time I tried this with him, and the pull from it was instant.

And I knew that not only did I want him in my life, I _needed_ him.

A gentle touch against my cheek made me open my eyes and remove my hand from his face.

It wasn't until I saw the moisture on the thumb he touched against his lips that I realised I had tears running down my face.

"I am so sorry I hurt you, Sophie." I was a gentle, intimate whisper.

With a deep breath I pulled myself together, took a step back and wiped my face with both hands before I looked at him again. "Tell me something about yourself that you have never told anyone else."

His grey eyes studied me before he exhaled slowly. "Before I met you I had planned to Meet the Sun. The fellowship presented a convenient occasion, but I have had the thought ever since I… developed a conscience. Two thousand years of death and destruction is… hard to live with when I can _feel_ the pain I have caused others. But there was something about you, something about your… glow. Something, that told me I was not done with this life yet."

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Eric suspects. But I have never told him," he finished, quietly.

I gathered my confused thoughts. "Thank you."

He nodded shortly.

"So... if you wanted to see me again, why did it take half a year? – I assume it wasn't a coincidence that you showed up at that bar?"

Godric's lips pinched lightly together. "I could… feel… what my blood had done to you. I wanted to be certain that that part of the bond was completely gone before I saw you again, so you would not…"

"Throw myself at you?" I suggested dryly, arms wrapped around myself and a significant heat rising in my cheeks.

"Get manipulated into believing you had feelings that were not your own," he finished, diplomatically.

I sighed deeply and cast a doubtful glance at him. "How long will it be before you won't be able to locate me or sense how I feel?"

"I am not certain, but both parts are very weak at this time. I only get a brush of your more intense feelings, and I cannot locate you by sense any closer than a radius of about a mile."

"'By sense'?" I enquired.

"If the wind is right and the trail is no more than a few hours old I can pick up your scent for a few miles more. It is what brought me to you when the weres attacked you."

Well, hm. "Promise me that you will never give me your blood again."

To my surprise he shook his head. "I cannot promise that."

My eyebrows rose slightly.

"If you are sick or injured I will offer it to you." Something in his eyes, in combination with the knowledge that he hadn't offered a human his blood in more than a millennium and half, made me realise that his simple statement was no small honour; you know – in vampire terms.

"Alright. Just... promise me that you will never force me to take it."

"I cannot do that either." He stared straight into my eyes. "If your life is in danger and it can save you I will not hesitate to give it to you, with or without your accept."

He really wasn't easy to argue with.

"Fine!" I snapped. "But swear that you will _never_ force me to take your blood unless I am in mortal danger."

"I swear, Sophie." It came without hesitation.

And then we stood there, looking at each other, until I remembered one last thing.

"And, Godric..."

He looked at me expectantly.

"If I – Goddess forbid – ever have to go to another social vampy-event with you I am _done_ acting like a well-behaved little fangbanger. If you - or any other high-and-mighty vampire - don't like me acting like a normal, thinking _human_ then tough shit. That means that I won't just follow you around an entire evening, being bored to tears; it means that I won't ask if it is alright that I leave your side, and it most definitely means that if I want to speak to another human then I damn well will, also without shooing to the bathroom or the kitchen."

Surprisingly, my rant made a small chuckle erupt from his throat, and he caught my hands in his. "As you wish, my little one."

I ignored the small sparks the touch caused. "Really? That easily?"

"Of course. I did not like seeing you like that yesterday."

My traitor-hands automatically gave his a little squeeze, and I saw joy on his face; he knew he was forgiven. That it mattered so much to him warmed me.

"Am I forgiven?" His soft voice sought a verbal confirmation.

I glared at him, but there wasn't really any conviction behind it. "You acted like a giant arsehole."

The area around his eyes creased lightly in amusement over my choice of words. "I know."

"You are forgiven."

He smiled, bent forward and brushed a feather light kiss against my cheek. "Thank you."

I blew out air noisily, ignoring the tingles my cheek experienced.

"May I take you home?" he offered, turning his back.

I sighed and shot his back a sad glance. "Not in this skirt." The outfit of the day was a tight pencil skirt over delicate tights, courtesy of Isabel.

"Hm." He looked doubtingly at my skirt. "In car, then?"

I nodded and turned around so we could stroll back to his house.

"Uh, Godric, did you know that Sookie is telepathic?"

His body stiffened somewhat, but he kept walking next to me. "Yes." His voice was clipped.

"... And that Eric paid her to listen to my thoughts..?"

"Yes, I realised as much."

I looked at him out the corner of my eye. "And that's just completely normal..?"

Godric sighed, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "It is normal for Eric. I have, nevertheless, made him aware that it is not… appreciated."

I didn't say anything else on the subject, but something in his tone told me that Eric had received the mother of all scoldings. It didn't bother me in the least.

"I like Sookie," I noted as we turned into the driveway. "And it wasn't really her fault. Will she get into trouble for this?"

"For doing the job my Child has paid her to do? No." Godric led me to the front door, and I hesitated.

"I will have to pick up the car keys." A humorous smile lurked in the corner of his mouth, and I scowled but followed him in. I was not ashamed of having slapped him, not even in front of others, because he had fully deserved it.

The conversation in the living room cut short when we entered – it appeared as if Eric and Sookie had been mid-argument, and the beautiful Isabel had been watching from the couch, a glass of blood in her hand.

Eric's shoulders stiffened at the sight of me, his eyes switching from ice blue to black in an instant, and he took a step towards us, a warning growl erupting from his throat.

I gulped; this vampire was angry. At me.

"_Eric!_" Godric stared up at his progeny. "Step down."

The blonde Viking didn't move, but his growling stopped. "This human _hit_ you, Godric!" he hissed. "She had no right."

Godric sighed softly. "As it turns out, she did. This incident was my fault, and my fault alone, Child." There was a bit of steel in his voice; he was most definitely not happy with his Son. "And that means there is no reason to scold Ms Stackhouse, either. She did nothing wrong."

Eric kept quiet, gritting his teeth all the while glaring at me, something close to hate present in his eyes. I had a sinking feeling that he would keep this grudge for a very long time. I set my jaw and glared right back, not one to give in to bullies, though this one was several levels more intimidating than your run-of-the-mill thug.

A 's_woosh_' made me jump, momentarily forfeiting the glaring contest as Isabel gently pressed an icepack against the hand I'd slapped Godric with. I didn't realise until then how much it actually hurt, probably thanks to adrenaline. I made a mental note to never try and punch a vampire.

"There. The sheriff's got a hard head," she said, a smile playing on her lips. She winked as she sat back down on the couch, apparently amused at the whole situation.

I smiled in thanks, and then glanced at Sookie to see how she was handling the night's events. She seemed fairly calm, as if dealing with upset vampires was something she did on a weekly basis.

Godric placed a hand on my elbow. "Come, Sophie. Let me take you home."

Happy to get away from the thunderous waves of anger rolling off Eric I followed him out to the car.

I spent the trip home with my eyes glued to the ice pack instead of the road so I wouldn't get too panicked over the speed with which the area flew by us.

"So," I asked my vampire friend. "Did this ridicules marking-dance work in the end?"

He smiled lightly. "It did. Vladd's idiotic attempt of biting you actually helped."

"I a_m _happy that my near-death experience was useful," I noted dryly.

"He would not have killed you, just... tested the waters. And in doing so he supplied me with ample opportunity to prove exactly _how_ seriously I take my claim."

I sighed at the memory. "I take it that this means I can go out on my own now, seeing as you didn't have me followed by bodyguards when I went out with Sookie today?"

"It does, though I would ask that you take care. The night is dangerous for all humans, even if they have been claimed."

Distractedly, I pulled on my long, dark ponytail. "Did you get any more clues as to who let it slip?"

His mouth twitched unhappily. "Not as of yet. No one knew of my visits with you, and I have found no signs of being followed at any point."

A thought struck me, like lightning from a clear sky. Oh, _god!_ "Uh… I think I have a theory…"

"Yes?"

"I'm sure you remember Skye, from the bar? The pretty, curlyhaired blonde? Well, she's kinda in a relationship with this vampire... She could have mentioned your name to him..?"

He fell silent for a long moment. "Can you get me his name and possibly place of residence? I wish to arrange a meeting with them." His voice was scarily quiet.

"Er… not if you're gonna go all vampire-boss on my colleague. She'll have had no idea that you were the local sheriff, or that mentioning that you have a human friend is a big no-no."

His lips formed a narrow line for a moment. "Fine. Make it less formal, then. But I wish to speak with them. Soon."

"You won't hurt Skye, will you?"

He sighed. "No, I will not. But if she is involving herself in vampire matters she will need to learn the rules. "

I sent him a long stare. "You will explain this to her _kindly_."

"As you wish, little one. Set up an informal meeting and I will take every measure as to not scare your human friend." He made no mention of not scaring Tom.

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_From this point on updates might be a tad slower as up until now I've had some very detailed chapter-notes and drafts to work from, and starting from next chapter I pretty much just have a handful of notes for each chapter, and a general idea of what needs to happen when.  
So don't get freaked out if it takes a little while; I promise that I will _not_ leave this story unfinished._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_More than 100 reviews! I am so ridiculously thrilled – thank you for the support!_

* * *

xXx

* * *

**10**

Unfortunately, to make an 'informal meeting' seem informal you can't really use the word 'meeting'.

Had vampires not been involved, I might have considered doing some form of a dinner party. However, vampires _were_ involved, and that really puts a completely different spin on the concept 'dinner party'.

And as my imagination was a bit limited I ended up standing in front of my bathroom mirror Friday night, getting dolled up, wondering why for the second goddamn weekend in a row I wouldn't be able to lounge on my beloved couch, eating Cheetos and catching up on TV.

It had been pretty easy, in the end, to get Skye to arrange for a meet-up. All I had to do was mention that it would be 'fun' to go out, and bring our vampire friends so they could meet… and stuff. However, as there was really no keeping anything private in our small shop, come Friday it had turned into a work-night out, with dates, though neither Dennis nor River were bringing anyone, and I think they just wanted to tag along to get to see two vampires interact. I couldn't really blame them; up until last week's party at Godric's house I would have been curious too – they couldn't know that vampires in groups were supremely boring.

So, yeah, I'd had to call Godric and inform him that we were going to a vampire-friendly bar with the classy name 'Snazzy', and that the rest of my colleagues would be joining us, too. He took it remarkably well, though I didn't exactly sense enthusiasm in his smooth voice at the prospect.

When Godric knocked around 9.30 I was wearing my skankiest outfit (as Skye had informed me that the dress-code was 'skin and sweat'), consisting of a short, tight, black dress being held up by spaghetti straps and a push-up bra, and my hair was up in a Dutch braid wrapping around my head.

I opened the door, pre-dancing wineglass in hand, and smiled brightly at him. "Come on in – I'm not quite ready yet."

He obeyed, without taking his eyes off me, which would have been rather flattering if it wasn't because I was fairly sure that he was just wondering why I looked like such a skank.

"Just adding makeup," I informed him, before disappearing back out into the bathroom. "Sit down."

It is a testament to Godric's patience that I got to finish my half hour in the bathroom without as much as hearing him clear his throat or otherwise try to hurry me up. When I finally emerged, now with a good amount of paint on my face, I found him by my bookshelf, leafing through a witchy book.

"Well, well! Look who's working on their prejudices!" I teased, smirking.

He didn't answer; just put the book down and stared at me intently.

"You said that this bar is for vampires?"

"Mhm?"

His lips pinched together.

"Why, is that a problem?"

"No," He answered, moving towards the door. "It is not, as long as you do not stray too far."

I sent him a confused look, and he offered a small smile I return.

"You look like vampire bait, little one."

That made me laugh. "Uh, thanks… I think?"

"Oh, it _was_ a compliment." He gave me a good once-over that made blood rush to my chest and face, and I slapped his arm lightly for good measure.

"Be careful with those; I'm a _very_ friendly drunk!"

He chuckled and led me outside, where his silver Lexus waited. For obvious reasons Godric was the designated driver of the two of us this evening.

Snazzy was located on the outskirts of one of the less-than-attractive areas of downtown Dallas, its placement perfect to give that feeling of a walk on the wild side that I assumed most patrons visiting a vampire bar were after, while still keeping some of the exclusive vibe from the downtown location.

As we approached the building I spotted a long line in front of its doors, and sighed loudly. I _hate_ waiting, especially when doing so after having drunk alcohol – it's such a waste of happy-feelings time.

But Godric simply walked to the front of the line, with me pattering along behind him. I glanced at the queue and saw several glares in my general direction.

The vampire bouncers turned to us - or rather, Godric - recognising him on sight.

"Sheriff, what a delightful surprise," the female vampire chirped. "Business or… pleasure?" She said the last bit while glancing at my neckline.

His hand came up to rest on the small of my back. "Pleasure tonight, Sandy."

She gave me a leer before nodding politely to Godric and letting us in.

The music blaring at us was loud and ethnic and made me want to dance, and I eagerly headed through the throng of scantily clad humans and the occasional vampire towards the bar, where I'd spotted River and Dennis.

River lit up at the sight of me, leaning in to give me a cheek-kiss. "Sophie!"

I returned the greeting, repeating it for Dennis. "You remember Godric, right?" It was a rhetorical question; Godric had been the topic of conversation in the store many a time. "Godric, do you remember Dennis and River?"

The vampire nodded shortly, and my two colleagues half-waved awkwardly. I guess that the less-enthusiastic greeting – when compared to the first time they saw him – was due to Skye's changed behaviour after getting into a relationship with a vampire; they were a little bit warier of his kind than they had been.

"So where are Skye and Tom?" I enquired.

River shrugged. "Probably on their way. Skye's always late these days."

It was true; the blonde had started to show up later and later for work, and sometimes not at all. I sighed and turned my attentions towards the bar, while River and Dennis found us a booth.

We were served immediately, which probably had a lot more to do with Godric's presence than it did my cleavage, but when I went to pay, Godric put his hand lightly over mine and shook his head before he handed over a couple of notes to the bar staff.

"You are here for me tonight – so it is my treat," he explained when he noticed my scowl.

I pinched my lips together at him, but he merely pushed my drink towards me with a finger, and – well – I _did_ want to get my blood alcohol levels up enough to dance, so I snapped it up with a 'thanks' and led him to the table.

When Skye and Tom turned up about forty-five minutes later I was well on my way to getting drunk, but it was alright, because River was in a worse state; she was currently rubbing up against a somewhat freaked-looking Dennis.

It was weird, seeing Skye in the company of her vampire lover. When she was in work she was usually always very open and carefree, but as she followed Tom in she looked more quiet and withdrawn than I'd ever seen her, though she was certainly dressed the part of a vampire bar patron.

"Hi hun," I greeted her, pulling her in for a quick hug. She had lost weight, I noted, but my brain was too intoxicated to ponder further on it.

"Hi guys," she smiled. "Everyone, this is Tom. Tom, these are my colleagues and, uh, Godric." Her voice lowered when she said Godric's name, glancing quickly at her boyfriend's face.

Tom, who had gorgeous long, soft, curly hair but was otherwise a rather plain-looking man, albeit pale and with that certain deadly quality vampires tended to have, pretty much ignored the mortal part of the gathering, bending his head respectfully at the other vampire. "Sheriff."

"Thomas Mallerick." Godric's eyes were narrowed a tiny bit, but apart from that his face remained blank; an expression I had started to recognise as his vampire-mask – the one he used when he was dealing with his underlings.

"It is a true pleasure," Tom mumbled.

Godric inclined his head once, turning to Skye. "I trust you are well, child?"

Skye looked rather shocked at the other vampire's interest, but managed to nod and whisper a 'thank you'.

And then there was an uncomfortable silence while Godric sat silently staring at Tom, who seemed to know that he was in some sort of trouble and therefor was very uncharacteristically (for a vampire) fidgeting in his seat.

Dennis stared fascinated at the two, clocking on to the undertones, but River was way past noticing – or caring.

I inclined my head at Dennis towards the dance floor, and he sighed and got up, dragging a happy and clingy River with him.

I stole a glance at Skye, wishing I could just go dance and enjoy my buzz, but I didn't want to leave her with the two, sombre vampires.

"Go with your friends," Tom encouraged - or rather, demanded. I was starting to really not like this guy.

"Actually, I wish to speak with your human," Godric intervened, leaning back in his seat, pale fingers resting lightly against each other.

It was hard to tell who was more shocked; Tom or Skye.

The ancient vampire turned his gaze to the blonde girl. "Am I correct in assuming that you told Thomas about my friendship with Sophie, child?"

She blinked, blue eyes round with surprise. "Y-yeah?"

"I am aware that you are unfamiliar with the supernatural world, but for future occurrences you should know that any dealings between vampires, whether or not they involve a human, are best not shared with people that you do not know well." His mercury eyes never left her face, and she seemed somewhat mesmerised by them. "Sophie could have been badly hurt because our interactions became known in the supernatural world, without my knowledge.

Skye's gaze shot to my face, shock overtaking surprise. I smiled comfortingly at her, a little too drunk to be of much more support.

"Naturally, I do not blame you." Godric's tone was suddenly icy, and his eyes now focussed on Tom. Who swallowed a lump in his throat.

I took that as my hint and got up. "Come, Skye. Let's go dance with River and Dennis!"

She followed me, after a quick glance at her lover, who didn't take his – somewhat petrified – stare off Godric.

It didn't take either of us long to get lost in the music and atmosphere of the club, and in my case happily forget about the gloomy non-meeting taking place between the two vampires at the table. In fact, I forgot about all the vampires present all together, which is generally a really, really bad idea.

And if it hadn't been for Godric I'm sure the night had ended quite unpleasantly for me after I twirled around and went straight into the arms of a gorgeous, female vampire with cold, silver eyes.

"Well, _hello_, cutey," she purred, grasping my wrists in her slender but scarily strong hands.

I blinked, my intoxicated brain not quite able to understand a female looking at me with _that_ kind of expression.

And then Godric was right behind me, an aura of power strong enough for even my drunk senses to notice radiating from him. "_She is mine!_" It was not quite a snarl.

The female vampire sighed, releasing my wrists. "You sure you don't wanna share now, sheriff?" She shot him a long, evaluating look.

This time a small growl did escape Godric's throat, and my back was suddenly pressed flush against his hard chest by an iron grasp around my waist. Well, _mmh!_ I happily leaned back against him.

She laughed and turned around, shaking her head lightly. "Pity."

I looked over my shoulder and nuzzled my face against his before I lazily threw an arm back, hooking it loosely around his neck, bending my knees lightly so I could move against him to the music.

He went rigid behind me, making me laugh while I slid further down and then back up.

"Told you I was a friendly drunk," I hummed happily, leaning my head back against his shoulder, provokingly exposing my neck to him.

"That you did." It was a mix between a laugh and a growl against my ear.

I twisted around in his arm that was still wound around my midsection so I could face him.

"Hello you," I teased, noticing the darkness of his eyes and deciding to see if I could push him a little further. - Because drunk Sophie is a moron, apparently.

I tipped my head back, arching my back and pressing my hips into his while sliding my hands over his soft, grey V-necked shirt, relishing in the feel of his hard muscles underneath it.

The hand that wasn't holding my drunk form up shot out and grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me back up and pressing my ear close to his mouth.  
"You are drunk." There was a clear, dark warning in his voice.

It should probably have scared me.

But unfortunately, it didn't.

And I leaned in and bit down on his shoulder. Hard.

A _hiss_ erupted from him, and the arm around my waist and the hand on my neck pulled me harder against him for a second, making my entire, drunken body shiver in delicious w_ant_.

I opened my mouth to nibble at the place where his neck met his shoulder, but he caught my neck in time, pulling me back. "Stop that. Right now." It was a full, deep growl.

I pulled my head away, feeling entirely too pleased with myself for having pushed the tranquil vampire so far – until my eyes met his. They were pitch-black.

Oh... Maybe I'd pushed too far... A small part of my intoxicated brain felt a flutter of fear just as he grabbed my arm and dragged me through the crowd, up to the bar.

"0 negative," he snarled at the bar staff, who were quick to bring him what he asked for.

He tossed some money over the desk, grabbed the bottle and manoeuvred me towards the door. But the quick stop at the bar made my happy-drunk self take over control again as I was now certain he had sufficient self-control, so I just giggled as I stumbled after him outside and down the street towards his car.

After about a block Godric stopped and took a deep swig of the bottle.

"So… we're done dancing then?" I sighed, leaning against a building for balance. It wasn't _meant_ to be a taunt, but it nevertheless earned me a dark glare.

"No more dancing."

"Bore," I sighed. "Did you talk to Tom?

He grasped my wrist in his bottle-free hand again and continued walking towards the car, but at a calmer pace, occasionally taking another sip. "Yes."

"And?" I prodded.

He sent me a short glance. "And while I am certain that he was not behind the attack he is the one who made my friendship with you publically known while aware that I had not claimed you."

"So… nothing will happen to him, right?" I didn't really want Skye's boyfriend to be pissy with me, seeing as I would be working with her most days.

The look he gave me made me shiver, and not in a good way this time.

"He spread this rumour knowing full well that it would put you in danger, Sophie." Godric's voice was calm, but so very dark.

I decided I didn't want to know any more about it. At all.

* * *

When I woke up the next afternoon I would have preferred just staying underneath my duvet for the rest of my life and never, ever going outside again, because unfortunately, I could remember most of the night before, including rubbing myself all over the two thousand year old vampire like a cat in heat. When the memory of biting his shoulder caught up with me I whimpered in utter humiliation. Why? _Why_ did I do that?!

Glancing at my phone I saw a text from River, who mentioned something about making the biggest mistake of her life. She didn't elaborate, but I assumed it involved Dennis and future, awkward days in work. I sent her a text back asking for not-too-explicit details.

And then I checked my missed calls and saw that my mum had called.

The day could not get any better.

Experiencing new and impressive levels of self-hatred I crawled to the bathroom and made an attempt at shaving off the layer of alcohol from my teeth and tongue before I turned on the shower and climbed in, hoping that the water would wash away the shame. And the headache.

It didn't.

Just as I had put on a clean pair of pyjama bottoms and a cotton T-shirt my phone rang. Mum again.

With a heavy, _heavy_ sigh I answered.

"_Sophie, you sound like you just got out of bed!"_

"Hi mum. How are you?"

"_You know only bums and drug addicts sleep until the afternoon."_

I glanced at the clock – four thirty. "I went out last night… and I didn't _just_ get up."

"_Oh, God! Are you an alcoholic now?"_

"No, mum. It was just a nice night out with some friends," I sighed, browsing through my pitifully empty kitchen cupboards. I should really have stocked them up when I knew I'd be hung over today.

I half-way listened while my mother talked and talked, mainly about what more or less exciting things she'd been up to since we last spoke. Unfortunately, there is room for a lot of arguments with the neighbours and loads of laundry during half a year. I put 'The Bachelor' on – muted – in the background and settled in for the long haul.

When it knocked on the door three hours later I was still on the phone with her.

"Mum, hang on a moment, someone's at the door," I tried interrupting, getting up from the couch. She ignored me and continued talking about the new dance class her and her boyfriend attended every Thursday.

I rolled my eyes and trudged over to open the door, phone still pressed against one ear.

Godric was stood outside, with a bag in one hand.

I stared at him with a rising sense of panic _and_ mortification and had just decided on slamming the door – as my hung over brain didn't offer any other solutions -in his face when he said: "Good evening, Sophie," which made my mother stop mid-talk.

"_Was that a _man_?!"_

Oh, great.

"Yeah, that was Godric…" I stepped out of the doorway, defeated, so he could get in.

"_Did he spend the night?!"_ my mother gasped in horror.

...

"No, he _just_ knocked on the door – when I said 'just a moment, someone's at the door'…"

"Sophie Marie Hartt! _Do not take that tone with me! _Who_ is this man who thinks it is appropriate to visit a young woman this late on a Saturday evening?!"_

This late being 7.30.

I quietly counted down from ten. "Godric is my friend."

"_Yes, thank you, I am aware what sort of 'friend' you are talking about!"_ she snapped.

I highly doubted it.

"Mum... was there a reason why you called?" I glanced at the bag Godric had brought. He'd put it on the kitchen counter, and a promising scent of take away emanated from it. "I'm starving, and the food is getting cold."

"_Aunt Ettie is having a big family Christmas this year, but because Aunt Gretchen is working on the 25__th__ it will be held on Christmas Eve instead. I'm counting on seeing you there."_

I made the mistake of groaning out loud.

"_Sophie, you haven't been home for Christmas for _three_ years! It is _important_ that you come this year; Grandma has some important news…"_ I instantly felt ashamed over the rush of happiness that went through me when the thought that the news might be that she was suffering from some fatal illness popped into my head. _"… and it has started to get _noted_ that you have not been back in Louisiana in ages."_ She paused briefly. _"Shall I tell Ettie that you will come on your own? __Again?" Or is there a young man you would like to bring? __You know your cousin Kathy has just gotten engaged, and to such a handsome young man."_

It is incredible what motherly pressure and years of growing up in a toxic environment can do to your sense of rationality.

"No, I'll bring someone," I heard myself say.

"_Oh good. __I shall see you on the 24th at 7 then. __Bye now, Sophie."_

I stared mutely at my phone after she'd hung up. How did she _do_ it?!

"Your mother?"

Godric's soft voice made me jolt in surprise – I'd forgotten that he was there.

My previous embarrassment returned, with a vengeance, and I hid my face behind my phone-free hand. "Okay, here's the bottom line: if you don't swear to forget that yesterday happened I will unfortunately have to kill you and bury you out back."

His chuckle made me glance up from my hand.

"As you wish, little one."

I exhaled gratefully and then looked questioningly at the bag that was emitting the enchanting scent. "So what-er..?"

"I recall you saying that humans find pleasure in a cheeseburger after having consumed alcohol." He sounded like it was a very bizarre notion.

At that moment I loved him a little bit.

"Thank you!" Hands already half down the bag I shot a quick glance over my shoulder. "You better look away; this won't be a pretty sight." Without even considering banalities such as a plate I unwrapped the burger – double and so big that I could only just have it between my hands – and took a giant bite. I continued devouring it, leaning over the kitchen counter, humming with pleasure, and I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty sure I set some sort of record for timed cheeseburger eating.

It wasn't until I was in the process of swallowing the last bite and wiping the juices off my face with a hand that I realised that Godric – the giant arsehole – was leaned against the kitchen sink, watching me with a grin.

"Oi! What did I say!" I snapped, though without being able to muster too much anger. He might have been watching me like some sort of zoo attraction, but he _did_ bring the food.

"I wanted to see if it truly smells as attractively to you as blood does to a vampire," he said, innocently.

I quirked an eyebrow. "And?"

His eyes sparkled with mirth. "You may have been correct in your assumptions."

Snorting, I started for the bathroom to wash burger off my face. "Do you mind getting a bottle of blood out yourself?"

He shook his head and opened the fridge.

When I came back – dragging my duvet along – he was sat on the couch with a bottle of TruBlood, watching the channel I'd had on while talking to my mother.

I plopped down next to him and threw the duvet over my legs. "Just change the channel if you want," I sighed. "I'm too tired to do anything meaningful anyway."

The dark-haired vampire left the channel unchanged and leaned back. "What did your mother want?"

"Guilt trip me, mostly. And force-invite me to go home for Christmas." Oh, why hadn't I come up with a quick lie about having to work?

He watched me closely, the blank expression he frequently defaulted to on his face. "And you will be bringing a… guest?"

I groaned involuntarily. "No! I don't know why i said that! Or yes, I do know why; it's because I'm _weak_ and _still_ let myself get manipulated by those horrible, cold, _unreasonable…_" There just wasn't a strong enough finish for that sentence.

"You have a strained relationship to your family?" he asked softly.

I buried my face in my hands and pushed all my _issues_ from my upbringing down, as I'd made a habit of doing since I left my mother's house at the age of eighteen. "I'd really rather not to talk about it right now, ok?"

"As you wish, little one." His hand gently patted my duvet where my ankle was hidden underneath.

And then I eyed a possibility.

"Uh… Godric?"

"Hmm?"

"What are _you_ doing for Christmas?"

If he knew where I was going with this he pretended not to. "I do not celebrate Christmas."

...

"...Godric?"

"Yes, little one?"

"Do you remember that all together horrible vampire party you made me go to last week?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Yes, I recall it."

I narrowed my eyes a little, trying to imagine him in a reindeer sweater, but the picture just wouldn't form in my head. "Is there any possible situation where you – out of sheer gratitude that I didn't die from boredom or vampire attack – would _consider_ going to Louisiana with me to visit my family this Christmas?"

His eyes calmly locked in mine. "There are one or two scenarios where that could happen. But are you certain that you would want that?"

I thought of my family's general ignorance towards everyone who wasn't like them. And I thought about how I had never been like them. And about having calm, strong Godric by my side through what was bound to be a nightmarish experience. "I am absolutely certain. And the dinner is at night on the 24th so there won't be any, hm, light-problems. But…" I sighed. Full disclosure needed. "I have to tell you that it won't be a pleasant experience. They are not… very nice people."

Godric watched me with his head slightly tilted for a little while, and then nodded once. "Very well. I shall book our plane tickets when I get home tonight."

I sighed in relief and leaned back in the couch. "A million times thank you. You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"As you are for me," he said quietly and seriously.

A blush spread across my body alongside a warm feeling of happiness. I still had no idea why he chose to spend just a little bit of his immortal life with me, but one thing was for sure; every fibre of my being was thankful for it.

We spent the rest of the night watching Vampire Diaries, occasionally interrupted by Godric's contemptuous snorts, and at some point I fell asleep with my feet in the vampire's lap. I half woke by the sensation of floating and tiredly cracked an eye open just as I was put down on my bed.

"Hmm?" I sighed.

"Dawn is almost here, little one," a soft voice spoke above me. My duvet was laid out over me, and I sighed happily and went back to sleep.

* * *

He came by again the next night, but instead of coming in when I opened the door he took a step back. "I believe I owe you another bit of flying?" His light tone was almost drowned out by my excited squeal when I spun around and ran in to get my coat and shoes.

When I came back out I quickly locked the door and then jumped on Godric's back, as he offered it, without hesitation.

His laughter rumbled against me, probably over the contrast to the first time, and he set off after wrapping his arms around my thighs.

I had, unfortunately, not gotten better at not screaming.

We landed on the same roof as last time, and I slid off his back, happily breathing in the night air, walking closer to the edge to look at the lights below us. I could feel Godric's eyes on me.

"Have you tried that meditation technique I showed you last time we were here?" I asked, before turning around so I could see him.

He lay stretched out on the roof, propped up on an elbow. Effortlessly he sank down flat on his back and let his eyes find the night sky. "Yes."

"And?" I plopped down next to him with considerable less grace, also with my gaze turned up to the sky.

"I feel... something. There is... something. But I cannot reach it."

His soft, melancholic voice reminded me of something I had planned to tell him ever since I had processed our fight from the week before.

"Godric? There's something I have to tell you. Something you need to understand. It is important." I kept my eyes locked on the sky even though I sensed that he turned his head to look at me. The times we'd had deeper conversations I'd always had my drawing pad in my lap to focus on, and I wasn't very good at being open and personal without having some form of filter between myself and the other person.

He waited for me to continue in silence so I took a deep – and a little shaky – breath. "Last week you said that the guilt you carry over your past actions almost made you… end your life. That it was too much to live with. And I think that… you are trying to repent, if that disaster with the fellowship is an indicator. And you said that there was something about me that made you reconsider, wait. The thing is; I know what it is." I made myself turn my head towards him. Shadowed eyes met mine. "It is so I can explain this to you: If you have two thousand years' of crimes on your conscience, the only way for you to repent is to give two thousand years of good deeds back to the Universe. For every innocent life you have taken you must save one, for every atrocity you must help another soul. And I know it will hurt; I can't imagine the weight on your shoulders. But Godric, if you don't give the Universe this before you die, your existence will have had a negative impact on the world. And… I… I could not bear it." I felt tears rise and fought to supress them, which made my voice hoarse. "I have never met… never thought that there was someone like you. And I _know_ that when it is your time, your soul will have found peace. Do not leave this life before you have done what you need to. Please."

A single, dark tear rolled down his face as he lay there, watching me, and I saw anguish in his eyes, but also hope. "You believe that there is peace to find for me?" he asked so quietly that I was only just able to hear him.

"I know there is." The sight of his one tear made my own overflow.

He turned around so he was fully facing me, and cool fingers gently wiped the tears off my cheeks.

"My little light," he whispered. "My salvation."

That just made my tears come harder and faster, and he must have given up brushing them off because his hand gently cupped my cheek instead of wiping it. "Human tears for my fate," he mused quietly. "In this I see God."

He let me cry myself out in silence, his cold hand a constant, calming presence against my face.

When the tears finally stopped, I slowly - and with a warmth that spread from my heart and into my toes and hands - became aware of his _presence_, and for three, long seconds I was staring at his lips, wishing with every part of me that they were against mine.

And that is when I for the first time really, truly understood that our time together had an expiration date; that I sooner or later would lose him. As closely intertwined as our lives seemed now, as shortly it would last.

Coldness pressed against my insides and I sat up and hugged my knees into my chest, breaking the intimate moment. It was well past time that I started to think of this so I could prepare myself mentally for when it would finally happen.

"Will you remember what I've said? Also when I'm no longer around?" I asked.

I could hear him sitting up next to me, but I kept my eyes focussed on the horizon.

"Are you going somewhere, Sophie?" His voice was like soft velvet, and I shivered at the sound of my name.

"Someday, I will. You know it is inevitable." I forced myself to give him a weak smile. "I am not immortal."

"And I have two thousand years left." His voice was quiet.

My smile became a touch more genuine. "I didn't necessarily mean two thousand years in the most literal sense. It's more quality than quantity where the Universe is concerned, I think."

"It will nevertheless take more than one lifetime to make amends for all the evil I have done."

I rested my head against my knees and looked at him over the arm that was folded around my legs. "Will you remember what I have said?" I asked again.

His eyes bored into mine. "Yes, Sophie. I will remember."

I smiled and turned my head again, resting my forehead against my knees so I couldn't see him. "Good." A world with Godric still in it would be a better place to live, even if I couldn't be in his life. I had already been in Dallas longer than I had planned, and even though I wasn't ready to let go of Godric yet, it was only a matter of time before I had to wrench myself away from him so I wouldn't get crushed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

_**Author's Note:** I'm putting in a cautious trigger warning here._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**11**

The 24th of December we flew with Anubis Airlines to Louisiana in the late morning, which meant that Godric was stowed away in a travel coffin during the flight. It was a very strange sensation, sitting in the cabin – first class – sipping a drink, all the while knowing that somewhere in the specially made cargohold my vampire friend was laying, dead for the day. It made me nervous; Godric should be underneath – or at least _on_ – the ground now, not suspended many miles up in the air where there was nothing but this flimsy plane to shield him from the sun.

When we landed I followed his coffin while it was unloaded, and put my palm against it the instant the porters had eased it down on the trolley. I felt much better knowing that I was near enough to physically throw myself on top of the lid if anything were to happen.

A car and a driver waited for us, and after having made sure that the porters had Godric safely locked away in the elongated back of the car I swiftly slid in to the passenger seat.

The chauffeur nodded briefly at me. "Shreveport, right ma'am?"

"Yes, Styx River Suites Hotel, please," I agreed. Godric had ordered – and paid – for two hotel rooms for us at the local vampire hotel, and when I had voiced my protest over that, trying to pay for myself (and for my plane ticket) he called it a Christmas present and had refused to discuss it further. As far as I was concerned, the fact that he travelled all the way to Louisiana with me so that I wouldn't have to face my family alone was plenty present, but I couldn't deny that it made things a whole lot easier on my meagre savings account.

I still hadn't told him why I was so uncomfortable being around my family that I needed him to go in the first place, partly because there was nothing I hated more than dwelling on the toxic memories of my childhood, and partly because I just didn't know where or how to start. He had not pressed me on the matter, for which I was thankful.

The knowledge that we were approaching my childhood neighbourhood and a reunion with my extended family seemed to drain the energy out of me for every mile we came closer, and when we finally arrived at the hotel, I knew, without a doubt, that I would never have been able to get through the evening without Godric by my side.

* * *

Not too long after sundown a knock sounded from my hotel door. At that point I'd managed to freshen up in the bathroom and change into the comely but pretty, black dress I had purchased specifically for this purpose, and was in the process of curling my hair, sat in front of the mirror.

"It's open!" I called, not wanting to interrupt what I was doing.

Godric stepped in, closing the door behind him before he sent my hair – which was half rolled up on my head with pins – a curious glance.

"Vanity," I admitted with a wry smile. "What a woman has to suffer through to feel presentable."

"There was a time when men spent as long time on dressing up and decorating themselves as women," he said, leaning against the wall so he could continue watching my primping.

An amusing image of Godric wearing a Renaissance costume suddenly popped into my mind. "Have _you_ ever been in that situation?"

A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "Naturally. Eric and I spent some time at the European courts."

The thought of him _and_ the tall Viking wearing wigs and makeup started a giggle fit, which soon ended when I burnt an ear on the curling iron. "I'm sure you were a lovely pair."

"Hmm. I am of the conviction that such efforts are wasted on the male gender."

I rolled my eyes at him, pinning my last curl in place so it could cool off. "How very sexist of you – it should be equally time-consuming for both genders to get ready."

He hummed noncommittally and continued watching me while I applied makeup, spritzed on a bit of perfume and finally went about undoing the bobby pins so my dark hair fell to just below my shoulder blades in soft waves. And then there was nothing left to do to postpone the inevitable.

I took a deep breath, getting up from the chair in front of the mirror.

"You are scared," he said, softly.

"Can you still sense my emotions?"

"I cannot. But I do not need to, to know that you are frightened. I can see it on in your shoulders and smell it underneath your perfume."

Smoothing my hands over my dress to stop the slight tremble in them I turned to him with a small shrug. "My family is sorta my kryptonite."

He looked at me uncomprehendingly.

I sighed and shook my head. "I've never really learnt to protect myself against them – I don't have any shields to keep them out with, apart from physical distance."

"And it is necessary? To keep them out?"

That made a nervous laughter escape my lips. "Oh, yes. There's a reason I haven't been home for three years." I stuck out my hand, and he obligingly took it, catching my eyes as he did.

"Sophie, be calm," he murmured, a dark command behind the soft tone. "You will be safe."

Immediately, calmness spread through my tense body, and I shot him a surprised glance. A feeling of being _safe_ originated from where his hand touched mine. "Did… you just do something?"

His lips pulled op in what could have been the start of a smile, but no joy registered on his face. "I am helping you relax. Come, little one."

Huh, handy.

I followed him down to the foyer, and then stopped abruptly. "Er, Godric… there won't be anything for you to eat tonight. I'm sorry; I totally forgot to think of that. I didn't have the whole vampire-talk with them, so they wouldn't know to get some TruBlood." They probably wouldn't have gotten any even if I had had that talk. "Do you want to pull over somewhere to get some before we arrive?"

Godric shook his head lightly and guided me out to the car he had rented for the stay; a black Mercedes. "I am not hungry. One of the advantages of being this old. Besides, Eric lives in Shreveport so I am obliged to stop by his bar later in the night.""

"Eric lives here?" I asked, surprised. Small world. "And he has a bar?"

"Yes. I have been told that it is rather popular."

It suddenly clicked. "Fangtasia? He owns Fangtasia?!"

"I believe that is the name, yes. You have heard of it?"

I shot him a big grin. "It's pretty much the most famous vampire bar in the United States. Huh!" I, of course, knew this thanks to Skye, but it was still odd to know that Godric's moody progeny was rather famous in some circles.

The trip went by faster than I'd hoped – Godric had a serious speeding problem - and we soon pulled up by Aunt Ettie's house.

Godric glanced at me when I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders after stepping out of the car.

"I will be right by your side," he murmured softly, and I don't know if he did that vampire-influence thing again or if I just reacted to the thought of him seeing me through this, but I felt a lot calmer as we walked up to the front door, my hand resting lightly on his forearm.

The door opened before we made it all the way up there, divulging Ettie's thin form. "Sophie-child, how good of you to find time to visit your family. And you must be the young man Lily talked about. George, right?"

"Godric," I automatically corrected.

"Hm." Aunt Ettie didn't look like she quite knew what to do with such a foreign name. "Come on in – you're the last ones to arrive."

Everyone was there. All the aunts, cousins, uncles, my grandparents – and of course my mother, her boyfriend and my little sister. They were all staring when we came in; at Godric, at his flawless features and his casual but expensive-looking clothes, and I _knew_ that they were trying to figure out what on Earth he was doing here with me.

"Oh, _Sophie!_" My mother got up from the group of relatives she had sat with and came over to give my frozen form a hug and a kiss to the cheek. "Goodness, I had forgotten how big you are!"

I had inherited my biological father's height and bone density, and had always towered over the other women in the family. My mother and grandmother had never let an opportunity to tell me how unfeminine it was pass by them.

"Gary, come meet Sophie." My mother waved over her boyfriend, and my sister trailed along.

Gary grabbed my hand with a big smile and crushed it enthusiastically in his. "So this is the wayward daughter! It's great to finally meet ya!"

I smiled politely at him. "Hello, Gary. I have heard many good things about you."

When he released my hand I turned towards Godric, who had been watching the exchange in silence, a hand lightly against my lower back. "This is Godric." It was aimed at the room in general.

Gary grabbed his hand and gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder, and I shot Godric an apologetic side-glance when my mother pulled him into an awkward hug.

"Oh, it is so _good_ to see that Sophie is finally socialising with people of class," my mum chirped, pulling him by the hand towards the group of relatives she had sat with before. "We have been so worried about her life choices these past years."

Godric let himself get led away, and I briefly greeted my sister before I nervously followed, only to get shanghaied by other aunts, uncles and cousins for how-do-you-dos, including Kathy – with fiancé (Brad, 28, successful local realtor, Audi) – who wanted to know how long I'd known Godric and what he did for a living.

"About a month and a half." I looked around after him and saw that he was sat on the sofa in between mum and Ettie, with a group of my relatives leaned in, unquestionably in order to ask him every detail of his life.

"And I honestly don't know what he works with; some form of business management." It wasn't completely wrong – I actually didn't know what Godric's work consisted of, just that he was the boss for the Dallas vampires. "Excuse me, Kathy." I managed to duck past uncle Rogan and find my way to Godric's side.

"...always had the urge to go against all rules and sensibility," I heard my mum say, which got a confirming laugh from Ettie.

"Oh, do you remember when she _had_ to waste her money going to college – to study _art_? Of course, it only lasted a year."

I froze just as Godric looked up and met my eyes. He reached up and grabbed my hand in his so he could pull me down next to him, making Ettie scoot a little.

"I appreciate Sophie's free spirit. And she is an amazing artist," he remarked calmly.

Blessed be Godric. I pressed against him for a brief moment to let him know I appreciated it.

"But you can't _live_ off being an artist," my mum said with a small snort, earning a nod from Gary. "It's alright for women who have the necessary qualities to find a man to support them, but Sophie…" She laughed lightly. "Sophie isn't exactly that type."

She was right about that, really; I didn't like the thought of depending on someone to take care of me, but I was pretty sure she wasn't talking about my independence.

"I actually do believe she could make a living as an artist, if she would exhibit." He glanced at me out the corner of his eyes. "But she is too modest for her own good."

My cousin Melba, who sat at the edge of the gathering, half succeeded in chocking off a giggle at that comment, and then studiously avoided Godric's eyes when he raised his eyebrows questioningly at her.

"So, Godric," Gary interrupted. "How did you meet our Sophie?"

'Our Sophie'? I had never met the man before today, but he apparently felt as part of the family. Must be nice.

"I saw her through a window at a bar and knew I had to know her," Godric answered, not missing a beat.

Oh, _suave_. Even though I knew it was a lie my cheeks still heated up.

My mum laughed lightly. "Aw, you are attracted to the awkward girls? That's so sweet."

I felt my hand stiffen against Godric's. Always – she _always_ had to humiliate me. I _knew_ this, expected it. Why did it still hurt?

"Awkward?" I vague note of ice snuck into the vampire's soft voice. "Sophie is not awkward, she is beautiful."

"So, mum, how did you and Gary meet?" I quickly intervened. I had heard the story multiple times, but making my mum talk about herself was always a good diversion.

It worked flawlessly. For the next half hour, until dinner was served, mum talked about their relationship in every minute detail, but at least it changed the focus from me. I leaned lightly against Godric for the duration, thankful for his support. He kept his hand in mine until we sat down for dinner, where uncle Ronald was sat at the other side of me, and Godric was sat next to my sister Catherine, with Ettie, Kathy and Brad across the table from us.

I spent the main part of the meal listening to Ronald talk enthusiastically about his last fishing trip, spiced up with the latest news from the world of fly-fishing (not much going on there, I might add), while Godric was bombarded with conversation revolving around money and social status by Kathy and Brad.

It was sometime shortly before dessert would be served that Ronald decided to ask me whereabouts I lived these days.

"Dallas," I replied, cautiously hopeful that we'd now left the topic of fishing for good.

"And you've been there how long now? A year?"

"10 months, more or less."

He shook his head, spearing a piece of turkey on his fork. "It's not good, Sophie. A woman at your age should not be running around like that. You have to settle down, see if not that Godric fella will stick around. Not like the last one… was it Marcus? Great guy, that. But I suppose he got tired of waiting around for you. A man wants his woman to be dependable and _at home_, girl."

An unexpected wave of nausea went through me at full force. I hadn't thought of that names in more than three years now, had carefully and painstakingly locked it away. My pulse increased, drumming in my ears.

A cool hand was placed on my shoulder, and I quickly looked to Godric, who was silently searching my face with his eyes, probably to find the cause of my racing heart.

"I'm ok," I managed to whisper, a pale smile forced on my lips. But my hand sought blindly underneath the table until it found his, clinging to it desperately.

"Godric, you're not a vegetarian, now are you?" Aunt Ettie suddenly said from the other side of the table. "You haven't touched the food! Try the roast, it's a family recipe."

The dark-haired vampire at my side sent the woman a polite nod. "I am certain that it is a lovely meal, but I do not eat human food."

Confused silence spread at our end of the table, and I saw my sister's eyes widen when she – as the only one, apparently – pieced it together.

"Don't eat food?" Ettie questioned, surprised. "But what do you..?"

"Godric is a vampire, Ettie," I explained, smiling at her as brightly as I could.

This time the silence went around the room, only interrupted by the clanging of cutlery being dropped on plates.

Things got pretty awkward after that.

After a while of stunned silence, someone mentioned dessert, and people rushed up to help take plates out and bring the cakes and pies back in, all the while glancing at Godric like he'd suddenly turned into some sort of three-headed beast. Which, I suppose in their eyes, he might have.

And I… I honestly felt pretty smug. I know it didn't say great things about me as a person, but I was basking in the fact that I, for once, was not the one who was in an emotional turmoil.

After dessert I decided some fresh, unpolluted, air was needed, so I excused myself and went out to the back yard, vampire buddy in tow, giving the family a bit of time to re-group as well.

I headed for the old swing towards the back of the garden, away from the light that shone through the windows in the house. The swing, and the sycamore tree it hung from, had been my favourite hideout as a kid, when the family gathered, and I patted the wide trunk affectionately before turning towards Godric. "Let me push you," I offered.

He shot me a questioning look.

"On the swing... Have you never..?" I shook my head when I realised that _of course_ the two thousand year old immortal would never have had played on a swing as a child. "Sit down."

Godric obeyed, and I walked behind him and gave his back a gentle push. He remained where he was.

Sighing I instructed him to take his feet off the ground.

He chuckled but did as he was told, and I once again pushed him, making the swing rock slowly.

"And what is the purpose of this?" he questioned, when I pushed him again.

I laughed quietly. "Just enjoyment."

"Hmm," he mused as he swung. "I could push you, if you enjoy this activity?"

The thought of being pushed with his unnatural strength made me grimace. "No thanks; vamp strength and all."

"I _can_ control it, you know." And suddenly I was lifted up and sat down, and I couldn't hold back a scared – but belated – gasp. I was sat on his lap with my legs resting on each side of his hips and his arms loosely around my back. A slow rocking told me that we were swinging gently.

Normally, the intimate positioning would have made me blush, but after tonight – and all the build-up leading up to it – I just leaned forward, resting my head on his shoulder with the back of my neck against the side of his. My arms came up to rest against his chest and shoulders and I breathed in deeply, enjoying his crisp, earthy scent and the fact that he let me be so close without tensing up; Godric wasn't usually what could be classed as the touchy-feely type.

"I do not understand your family," he said then. "They speak to, and about, you as if you were of less value than them."

I sighed. "Well, I am, in their eyes."

"That I do not understand. You are so unique, so special. Can they not see this?"

I pulled my head back and sent him a smile, knowing it was probably more bitter than joyful. "Not everyone sees 'special' as a positive trait, Mr Vampire. I'm not successful, not reliable – just stubborn and odd and not like them. I even look different, thanks to my dad's apparently overpowering genes."

His forehead furrowed, and I felt his unfathomable eyes search mine for answers. "It does not seem like a basis for what I have witnessed this evening. A family should care for the wellbeing of all its members; human society has been built around this concept for millennia."

The pain I always felt when I thought too much about my upbringing shot through my body, and I felt my bottom lip quiver traitorously before I realised there were tears stinging in my eyes.

"Sophie, what did these people do to you?" His voice was very quiet, but it had an unmistakable core of steel.

I shook my head and pressed my forehead against his shoulder, my arms linking around his neck on their own accord. "I don't want to talk about it. Not now, when I have to face them again this evening."

His arms locked tighter around my back, and I relaxed in his embrace. "You do not have to go back in there. I will take you wherever you wish to go."

My mouth pulled up in a soft smile against his wool coat. "Thank you," I whispered.

Feather light lips brushed against my hair. "Shall I take you back to the hotel?"

I pulled myself back up right and looked at him, the thankful smile still on my lips. "Not yet. If we leave now they'll just think I'm ashamed of you, of you being a vampire."

"Does their conviction matter?"

Yes, unfortunately, it did. I sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry; I know I'm weak."

Godric shook his head lightly at me. "Do not apologise for your feelings, little one. Come, let us go back in."

I nodded again and clumsily crawled off his lap.

The family had spread out over the house in small groups when we came back in. To my great surprise my sister Catherine made a beeline for us when we entered the house, and started talking to Godric about, well, about being a vampire.

Huh, my little sister was apparently more open minded than I'd given her credit for. I could see several of my cousins starting to edge towards us, without a doubt driven by curiosity and the fact that Catherine hadn't been eaten, so I excused myself and went upstairs to find the bathroom.

I spent some time in front of the mirror giving myself a calming pep talk, not terribly concerned with having left Godric alone with my relatives; he could handle himself in a group of small-minded humans just fine. In just a few hours we could leave this place and I wouldn't have to see any of them again before I again was so stupid as to pick up the phone when my mother called to guilt trip me. No more painful memories, no more uncomfortable questions, glances… Just a few more hours! I could totally do this!

I quickly made sure my makeup was in place before stepping out of the bathroom – and directly into Kathy's claws.

My petite, strawberry blonde cousin's face was an angry mask, and I raised my eyebrows in surprise when she grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into a bedroom.

"Kathy..?"

"You!" she spat. "What the hell do you think you're doing? This is supposed to be _my_ time!"

"Wha?" I eloquently managed before she interrupted.

"For the _first time_ I'm officially introducing my _fiancé_ for the entire family, and what do _you_ do? You show up, dragging along a tame vampire and _steal my thunder!_ As if anyone should be surprised that you are a fang-banging whore! After what you did to your own mother I really should have expected that you would _again_ be spreading your legs for who - or what- ever to get attention, but…"

A gust of wind cut her short, because suddenly a rather angry vampire was inches from her face, fangs extended.

Kathy let out a small scream, which I really couldn't blame her for.

"If I _ever_ hear you speak to Sophie like that again you _will_ regret it." It was said with a low hiss that gave me goosebumps and made Kathy shake visibly.

"I have spent the entire evening listening to veiled contempt aimed at this woman – _my_ woman – and I have said nothing out of respect for her family, but I draw the line very firmly at direct attacks." Godric stood up straight – he had been hunched over in an unspoken, predatory threat – and stared towards the door to the room, and I realised that several of my relatives had come up to gawk.

A wave of _power_ washed through the room and into the hall, sliding around me without touching me.

"None of you will _ever_ use derogatory terms about Sophie again. Is that clear?" I recognised that dark command I'd heard in his voice a few times when he wanted to ensure that people obeyed.

All my present relatives nodded, a foggy look in their eyes.

Godric turned to me, an angry but controlled expression on his handsome face. "I think it is time that we take our leave for the night, Sophie. Are you ready?"

I gulped and nodded, and he led me through the door, past my family – who spread for us like the Red sea – down the stairs to the hallway, grabbing our coats, and into the car.

It wasn't until he'd pulled out from the curb and we were speeding down the road that I dared to break the tense silence.

"Godric, what... did you do to them?"

He kept his eyes on the road. "I Glamoured them."

I sighed and sank back in the seat. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I am sorry." He didn't sound the least bit sorry.

"Godric, that you _force_ them to be nice doesn't change anything," I tried to explain.

The dark-haired vampire sent me a look that left no doubt that he was still pissed. "I did not force them to 'be nice'. I made sure they do not use coarse language when speaking about you again, and I do not believe that that is too much to expect."

I looked down on my hands, feeling tears threatening to break free. No one had ever stood up for me to them before – or at all, truth be told.

We made it to the hotel in silence, and Godric followed me into my room and sat on the side of the bed, still with a gloomy facial expression.

"It's alright if you wanna go see Eric now – I'm OK. Thanks for taking me home," I attempted, aware that a conversation between us right now would touch on subjects I'd spent years suppressing.

Godric snorted. "Eric can wait. Come here, little one."

With a deep sigh I sat on the edge of the bed next to him and looked down at my hands.

Pale fingers intertwined with mine. "Tell me."

And so I did.

I told him about my dad leaving my mum when I had just turned three to never get in touch again, about how she had always resented me for looking so much like him, reminding her of how he'd mistreated her, about how that meant that I'd grown up feeling ugly and unlovable. I told him about the man she met when I was four – my sister's dad, Bruce - about how he was outgoing, successful and well loved by the entire family, especially my mum.

And while carefully avoiding Godric's eyes I told him about how my mum had walked in on Bruce and me when I was twelve, how I'd been naked and how he had been touching me.

His thumb, that had been gently stroking over mine again and again while I talked, stopped.

"He was just touching," I quickly added, to not give the wrong impression. "He didn't… hurt me. But of course, mum had to throw him out after that, and… she blamed me. She told me once that if I really didn't want him to do those things to me I would have told someone; it'd been going on for a while, you see. And, well, she told the family, and they all loved him so much… and if it hadn't been for me he wouldn't have had to leave, so… that's why I'm not that popular with them." I finished, tamely.

I wasn't aware of the tears until Godric's free hand came up to wipe them away before he lifted my head by the chin. Soft, mercury eyes sought and held mine.

"Oh, Sophie. He _did_ hurt you, my light. Do not ever make excuses for what he put you through. I know."

I shook my head, biting my quivering bottom lip. It hadn't been invasive or painful, and sometimes it had been… The shame from those times was the worst of it all.

"No, Sophie. I _know_." The softness of his gaze didn't change, but the intensity did. "I know the hurt you went through, _all_ of it, and physical pain is the least of it."

My eyes widened as I gazed into his ancient stare. He did know.

He moved his hand from my chin to clasp it behind the back of my neck, pulling my forehead in to rest on his. "As for your family's reaction…" His gentle tone had a bit of a steely edge. "They were wrong. Are wrong. It is the job of a family to take care of their young, and not only did they fail at that, they then shamed you for their shortcomings. And they are wrong."

I shrugged my shoulders halfway and looked down, avoiding his eyes.

And then his arms wrapped around me, pulling me to his lap, holding me tightly.

"My little one," he murmured in my ear, the steely tone stronger. "Your mother is a weak, wretched excuse for a human and she has no excuse for the mental abuse you have suffered at the hands of her and her family. I know you have been taught to accept the treatment they still subject you to, but this time, you need to listen to _me_: They are wrong, _you_ are wrong. _No one_ can do to you what they have done. I _will not allow it._"

His words made me shake violently; from fear, from anger, from relief – from reasons I didn't understand. But he held me so tightly while he whispered soothing things in my hair that I finally – for the first time since my mother threw out Bruce – broke down and sobbed over the loss of my childhood. My family.

My body was wrecked as sobs shook through me, my hands desperately fisting in Godric's shirt, but when I finally – a long time later – had no more tears left, I felt… free.

I slowly lifted my red-eyed face from the vampire's shoulder and looked into ancient eyes that were completely focussed on _me_.

"I'm sor..."

His finger against my lips made me silent. When he was sure I wasn't going to continue he removed it.

"Do not apologise. Do not." His gaze was as serious as I'd ever seen it. "Never, e_ver_ be sorry for sharing your pain with me. I am honoured that you chose me."

The only thing I could do after _that_ statement was to bury my head under his chin and fist my hands in the fabric of his shirt again.

A gentle, rumbling sound vibrated through his chest against my exhausted body, and my lips pulled up in a soft smile; Godric was purring for me.

"What did I do to deserve you in my life?" I mumbled against his tattooed collarbone. I felt the exhaustion from the emotional stress overpower me, and the soothing sound Godric was making sure didn't help my battle to keep my eyelids open.

He whispered something against the top of my head, but it was too quiet for me to make out before I fell asleep, safe in his arms.

* * *

My phone woke me up in the late morning the next day, and I automatically grasped at it, pressing 'accept' while still being halfway lost in sleep.

"Hello?" I croacked.

"Sophie? It's Catherine. I'm sorry I woke you. Should I call back later?"

I sat up. What on Earth did my sister want? I had been pretty sure that I wouldn't hear from anyone from the family for quite some time after the events last night. "S'ok. What do you want?" I managed, voice still a bit raspy.

"I... I was thinking that we could meet up later today, if you have time? Just you and me?"

Wha?!

"Uh... why?" My tired brain wasn't really awake enough to be polite yet.

There was a moment's silence. "Because… you are my sister and… there is so much I… want to talk to you about."

I rested my face in my free hand. It wasn't exactly like I had any plans for the day, while Godric was dead to the world. I'd briefly considered calling Sookie, who I knew lived fairly close by Shreveport, but then I had realised that she no doubt had plans for Christmas Day.

"Alright. I'm at the Styx River Suites Hotel, if you want to come here." I sure as hell wasn't going by mum's house to pick her up.

"Thank you, Sophie." Catherine sounded relieved. "Can we meet at three?"

I agreed, with an uncomfortable feeling in my gut that I'd regret it, and then spent the rest of the day ordering room service, showering and watching TV. And thinking about Godric.

It still felt like my chest was lighter than I'd ever thought it possible, and it was because of him. I had no illusions that all my fucked up issues had been resolved or that I would now be serene and problem-free, but the relief of finally having shared so many years pain – and be _heard_…

At an intellectual level I'd known for years that what'd happened wasn't my fault; that _I_ had been the victim. But emotionally speaking, the shame and guilt was deeply lodged, and Godric's reaction and anger towards my family had helped loosen it.

* * *

My sister arrived ten past 3, and I trudged down to the reception to get her; the vampire-catering establishment did not let anyone in off the street, without verification, during the daytime when their customers were supremely vulnerable.

"Hey," she greeted as she got up from the sofa by the reception where she'd been asked to wait.

My sister looked like a proper Hartt, with long, strawberry blonde hair and a dancer's lithe, petite figure. The only things that classed us as family were the colour of our green eyes, the plump lips, broad cheekbones and firm, pointy chin.

"Hey," I sighed. "Come on up." I nodded at the receptionist as we walked past to the elevator.

"So… will we not disturb Godric?" my sister asked, nervously, while we waited for the lift to ascend.

I shook my head. "He's dead for the day."

She looked at me with something that seemed an awful lot like admiration (which startled me to no ends). "Oh, geez, Sophie – you know _so much_ about them!"

I let out an involuntary laugh. "About vampires? Oh, goddess, no! I know next to nothing. They are kinda secretive."

"But… you live with one?" She looked rather confused.

I swiped my card to my hotel room and let us in. "No, I live on my own."

Catherine cast a curious glance around the room, and then frowned, and I realised that she'd expected me to share the room with Godric as I kind of had brought him as my date last night. "He's got his own room. We're just friends."

She looked at me with disbelief. "He called you 'his' last night."

Oh right, he had. Huh.

"Yeah, it's a vampire thing. It's what they do when they feel protective of a human," I explained, which was pretty much the impression I'd gotten from hanging around Godric for the last month or two.

My sister did not look convinced. "So your vampire _friend_ just upped and went with you to Shreveport for a Christmas meal with your extended family?"

"He's a very good friend," I sighed, irritably. "Besides, his Son owns that Fangtasia place in town so he used the trip as an excuse to come visit. What is this, 20 questions?"

But Catherine completely ignored – if she even noticed – my tone. "Eric Northman?! Eric Northman is your Godric's son?!"

"He's not 'my' Godric!" I insisted, rolling my eyes. "But yes, you know, in vampire terms. They are not _actually_ related."

"Oh my God, Sophie! Oh my God! Do you think that you could...?" She faltered at the sight of my face. "Sorry. It's just, I've been to the bar and that man – vampire – is so… _hot! _And unobtainable."

"And a dick." I folded my arms over my chest. "Sorry, he doesn't like me much so I doubt that I could get you a date."

She sighed and sat down on the edge of my unmade bed. "Yeah, it was silly anyway, sorry. I just got excited."

"S'OK. He's a fine piece of eye-candy, I'll give you that." I leaned against the wall, looking at my sister. It was weird to think that we'd once been close - before Bruce started getting handsy. I used to push her on the swing when we visited Aunt Ettie, and I'd once beaten up a kid from the neighbourhood who picked on her. That had of course landed me in all sorts of trouble, but I remember thinking it was worth it if it kept my baby sister safe. And she had worshipped the ground I walked on.

"So, why did you call, Catherine?"

She looked up at me then, with worry and sadness on her face. "Well… because… I wanted to say that I am sorry."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"All these years… I never questioned the story mum told me about why dad had to leave. It wasn't until recently that I actually started _thinking_. For myself, I mean. And… Sophie, I am so sorry. I know mum will never tell you this, but what she did to you was so wrong. What everyone did. What _I_ did! I know that it is a lot to ask, but… I hope one day you can forgive me.

Dumbfounded, I slid down into the chair by the makeup mirror, staring at her. I had never in a million years expected this, and I honestly had no idea how to react.

Catherine sighed, her lips pulling a grimace on her pretty face. "I understand if you can't."

I shook my head, partly to clear it of the confusion. "No, I… I am just… surprised. I don't blame you, Cat. You were a child, too. And you lost your dad."

She looked unhappily at me. "I'm not a child anymore though, and _I_ didn't stand up for you yesterday, when Ettie and mum were throwing digs at you."

"Well, neither did I," I sighed.

"But Godric did." She smiled a little. "It was nice. You deserve to be with someone who will take care of you."

I frowned. "I don't need to be taken care of."

She didn't respond, and we just sat there and looked at each other for a while, both probably thinking about our childhood.

"Do you think that… maybe we could start keeping in touch? A little?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded. "Yeah, we can do that."

Catherine smiled and pulled out her phone. "Give me your email, then."

We sat and chatted for a little while, mainly about vampires. As odd as it sounds, it was our safe topic. In the end, she noted that the sun was about to set and left, claiming she didn't think Godric would like it too much if he saw any of my relatives so soon again.

I hugged her goodbye, a little awkwardly, but I found a small spark of hope in my chest when I did so. Maybe I could have some form of relationship with my sister, some point in the future.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note/Ratings Warning**:

_I've done my best to keep this chapter within the M rating, but I __am__ Scandinavian and, as ya'll probably know, we __are __"the most liberal humans in the world." ;)_

_And by that I mean that this chapter is very much in the True Blood spirit, so if you are considered a minor in your country – you know the drill: Please, skip to the bottom of the chapter.  
_

* * *

xXx

* * *

**12**

Being a vampire sheriff apparently meant that work piled up when you took a brief vacation. After he dropped me off at my small house in the middle of the night on the 25th of December I didn't see Godric for four more days - well, nights – as he was too busy to stop by. He told me this over the phone the first night after we were back, and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that.

On the plus side, it was the first time he'd actually called to let me know that he _couldn't_ see me. It was rather nice to know what (not) to expect, instead of looking hopefully out the window when the sun dipped towards west an inevitably get a little disappointed when he didn't show up.

It was also nice to get a little bit of distance, if I have to be honest. There'd been a massive slide in the level of intimacy between us due to the emotional events in Louisiana, and as addicted as I found myself to the feeling of complete s_afety_ I had when I was with him now, as much did it freak me out when I paused to think about it. _No one_ had been this close to me, ever. And trusting people had not exactly turned out great for me in the past. Having a few days to cool down and put a little bit of distance to what happened in Louisiana helped me keep a calm head.

On the negative side of Godric not having time to see me for a few days was that I just plain missed him. A lot.

But right after sunset on the 29th he called me again, checking if I had time to spend some of the evening together.

I briefly wondered exactly how sad and needy it came across that I _always_ had time to see him when he called, and also when he just showed up with no warning. Then I said yes, unable to get the giant smile off my face. I did try, a little.

When he knocked maybe 10 minutes later I already had his TruBlood ready, as well as my own tea, and I had the picture I'd made for him neatly wrapped up in festive paper and laid out on my tidy-ish coffee table.

It wasn't until his face lit up in an unusually big and warm smile when I opened the door that I realised that I hadn't managed to get rid of my excited grin since he called.

I coughed and stepped back behind the door to try and school my features into at least a somewhat less insane expression, gesturing for him to come in.

"I have missed you, little one," he said softly as I closed the door behind him.

My stupid grin instantly reappeared. "Missed you too, sheriff. Come, I have a Christmas present for you."

A brief look of surprise crossed his face. "You did not need to get me a present," he said as he followed me to the sofa.

I plopped down and grabbed the wrapped present, holding it up to him. "Well, you spent I don't know how much money and time on _my_ present, so of course I did. Besides, I wanted to."

He eased down on the couch, plucking the present from my hands, eying it curiously. "Thank you, then. But my gift to you did not come with the need to reciprocate."

Instead of answering I just folded my legs underneath me, grabbing my tea cup. I was really quite excited to see if he would like it, as I had put a great deal of time and thought into it, and it was really the best piece of art I'd ever done, in my opinion.

Godric carefully unwrapped the paper, his fingers deftly undoing the tape and ribbon until the framed picture was finally between his hands, his eyes gliding over it. At first they seemed a little confused, before his face blanked into an unreadable mask. And then his eyes softened.

"This is how I see you," I said quietly. "This is what your soul looks like to me."

He kept staring at the picture, and eventually it made me feel a little awkward; maybe he didn't like it?

"Do you… like it?" I asked, hesitantly.

He just kept staring at it.

…

"…Godric?"

"It is beautiful," he stated, finally moving his eyes from the canvas to my face, his expression unreadable. "This is… this is what you see? When you open your mind to the universe?"

I shrugged. "No, this is what I see when I open my mind up to you. Nothing else has ever looked like that."

He stared at me for the longest moment, making me uncomfortably twitch in my seat, and then carefully put the painting down, leaning against the couch. "Thank you, Sophie." It sounded so sincere and… happy.

- Which made me totally uncomfortable, so my brain decided to spit information at him to ease the awkwardness I felt at his intense focus.

"It's made mainly in pastels crayons, and as you can see a few details are in charcoal, but I've just used that to highlight the colours, emphasising the light. It was really hard to capture the _glow_ of your soul, so I had to put in some blue and purple tones in the skin as a contrast, but your features were just so _easy_ to get right. Almost like what drawing one of the old, Roman statues would be like – perfect balance and contouring," I rambled.

Godric leaned back in the couch, an amused half-smile on his face. The movement made my eyes flicker to the bit of the tattoo that showed above his shirt. "Can I draw your tattoos?" I blurted out, my brain not one for stopping a good torrent of words once it got started

His eyebrows rose halfway. "My tattoos?"

"Yeah, from what I've seen of them they look very intriguing, and it would be so absolutely insanely amazing to trace up a _real_, 2000 year old, tribal tattoo." I hadn't meant to blurt out the question, but I _had_ wanted to draw them pretty much ever since I realised that he had them.

The vampire just looked at me with that amused expression for a little while longer, and then shrugged. "If it will please you, I do not mind."

I think I squealed a little bit, if Godric's chuckle was an indicator, but I was too excited to notice. Or care.

"When do you wish to do this, little one?"

Like, right now!

"Uhm, if you don't mind then I would like to get started tonight?"

He just nodded once, and I jumped up and speed-walked to get my sketchbook and pencils (because running would be _too _undignified). When I returned he was standing up, and just as I realised that wait, this had to be done s_hirtless_, Godric would be _topless_, he easily un-tugged his white linen shirt, pulling it over his head in one, swift motion that made the muscles in his in-the-process-of-being exposed torso flex and contract in a most hypnotic way.

And then he stood there, in front of me, wearing _nothing_ on his upper body. His smooth, toned upper body.

I don't know what I'd imagined, really, but it wasn't this. It really, really wasn't this. Godric was not what you'd call ripped or overly muscular, but his lean body had plenty of definition.

The blue-inked tattoos contrasting against his pale skin on both his biceps and across his collarbones did nothing to lessen the sharp stab of desire in my lower regions.

Oh, Good Goddess!

It wasn't until I pulled my eyes up high enough to notice his so completely uncharacteristically, sly smirk that I realised that not only had I been thoroughly ogling him – like some damn pervert – but at some point I had also started breathing quite heavily.

"Uh…" I quickly looked down at my sketchpad, all the while pretending like I wasn't blushing scarlet. "They are nice." Oh _Goddess_, were they nice, stretched over hard muscle and smooth skin. So. Much. Skin.

"Hmm." The smirk was evident in his voice, too. Yeah, I really hadn't been subtle.

I glanced up, willing myself into artist-mode. With determination I grabbed a pencil and walked over to him, careful to keep my eyes on his tattoos. The one around his left bicep was a series of zigzagging lines, the one on his right what looked like a band of runes. The tattoo around his neck graced both his collarbones and dipped in a semi-circle towards his hard chest…  
I coughed and quickly stepped around him to his back.

The tattoo I'd caught glimpses of the top of there turned out to be some sort of lizard spanning the entire length of his spine. I'd never seen anything like it.

Intrigued, I brushed my fingertips up it, sensing too late that the vampire tensed under my touch.

"Oh, sorry!" How terribly awkward! "It's just so… fascinating. I didn't think, sorry," I apologised, probably even redder-faced than before, if that was at all possible.

He exhaled slowly. "No, it is not a problem. You can touch, if you wish. I was merely surprised."

Well, I _did_ sort of see with my fingers… I let my pencil-free hand smooth back down his spine, noticing how the shape of his muscles gave depth to the design. And then my gaze moved to the red circle on his right shoulder blade.

It was slightly raised off his skin and had a much cruder design than the dark-blue tattoos.

I followed the circle with a gentle finger. "What is this?"

"A brand." His voice didn't give off any emotion. "I was a slave before I was turned."

_That_ shocked me. "Why?" The thought of someone _owning_ Godric and branding him like cattle was deeply upsetting.

"My village was on land conquered by the Romans. "

I wanted to ask him more, ask him about his human life, but not like this. His dispassionate tone aside it could not be easy to talk about being a slave. So I gently rubbed my hand over the brand, some part of me wishing to soothe the pain it must have caused him when it was made, and moved back around him again, this time tracing the rune-tattoo with a finger. "And this?"

"A praise to the spirits."

My hand found the neck-tattoo, and I stroked across it with my palm.

"It is meant as a protection," he said, before I got to ask.

Something husky in his voice made me look up from his neck to his eyes.

They were dark, and that something down low in my stomach pulsed hotly in response.

And then they flickered to my mouth.

I didn't pause to think – I just leaned in and pressed my lips against his.

I heard his sharp intake of breath the second before my mouth touched his, and then he just stood there, frozen… for about three seconds.

Strong hands landed on my hips, and for a brief moment I thought he was going to push me away.

I was wrong.

Suddenly, I was flush against his hard body, his mouth opening under mine, and I had time to think '_oh, yes!'_ before instinct took over and I was kissing him with all I had, enjoying his lips and tongue claiming mine, egging me on.

I was pushed back until I slammed hard against the wall, and I groaned on impact as Godric's body pinned me there, pressing into my soft curves.

My hands slipped up over his naked chest and locked around his neck, trying to pull him closer still, until I had to turn my head from his forceful kiss so I could inhale a few gulps of air.

Godric didn't waste time, dipping his head to my now-exposed jawline and neck. He pressed his lips desperately against my skin, over and over, moaning in need, until I heard a c_lick_, followed by a groan.

I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me as he pulled his head back and forced his fangs to retract, running his tongue over his teeth as he did, as if to alleviate some pressure.

"Having trouble?" I breathed, mirth evident in my eyes. My fingers snaked into the short hair at the back of his neck and I ground my hips into his, making it clear that I knew his fangs were not the only parts of him wanting to break free.

He growled – actually _growled_ – at me and attacked my mouth again, fingers digging painfully but deliciously into the swell of my hips, lifting me.

Obediently, I wrapped my legs around his waist, only to gasp into his mouth when the pressure of his body was now focussed at my sweetly aching centre. He pulled his hips back a little, only to slam them back against me, rubbing me in just the right way, and this time I was the one to groan as I felt moisture rush from my core, readying me for what my body so desperately _needed_.

Godric inhaled deeply, only to growl again, one of his hands moving from my hips to fist in my hair, pulling my head back roughly, exposing my throat to him.

His kisses to my neck were fevered, demanding my submission, and I whimpered in response, my brain and body happily giving in to him.

He pulled back a little, letting me slide to the floor as his hands grabbed my shirt and _ripped_, sending buttons flying. He snarled at the sight of my bra, ripping it off with one hand, carelessly throwing it to the floor.

Oh, wow, this was actually going to happen!

His demanding kisses continued down my chest, nibbling and licking on my heated skin. When he reached my left breast, his hand coming up to cup the right, I leaned forward and bit down on his shoulder – mimicking the move that'd nearly made him lose control at the bar earlier that month -, earning me another growl before he took my nipple in his mouth.

I could feel the tips of his fangs grazing my sensitive flesh; he was obviously struggling to keep them retracted.

"You don't have to hold them back for me," I whispered, my voice too thick with need for anything louder.

Pulling back from my breast a little he let them slide out, moaning in relief before he buried his mouth in my cleavage, scraping his fangs down my skin, kissing and licking. He sank to his knees and before I could exclaim anything other than "Oh!" my pants and panties had been ripped off and he'd lifted my left leg over his shoulder, stroking his thumbs over my lips, parting me.

_Oh,_ this was _definitely_ happening!

"Oh, Goddess, Godric!" I whimpered as his mouth claimed my centre, fangs scraping deliciously along my folds.

He wasn't gentle, and he didn't ease in to it. My hips bucked fervently for his lashing tongue, two of his fingers slipping into me with ease. When he curled them after _that_ spot, pressing roughly, I flew over the edge with a wail, fingers grasping desperately at his hair.

I felt a sharp sting in my upper thigh, sending me over again as his fingers rubbed harder, before I slumped back against the wall, panting.

Through a haze of spent pleasure I looked down at him. His mouth was against my inner thigh, sucking a few more times before his tongue darted out, licking the skin and sending delicious shivers up my body.

"Hungry?" I teased him gently.

Godric looked up from his crouching position with a dark smirk. "Oh, Sophie, you have no idea."

Pleasant tingles spread through my body, centring between my thighs, at his dark, velvety tone and equally dark eyes. I tugged at his hair, willing him to get up so we could continue.

In a blur he was on his feet, picking me up and –apparently – getting out of his pants as I felt his cool, naked flesh against my thighs while he rested me against his own.

"There is no going back now, my light," he whispered, staring into my eyes with fire in his darkened orbs.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning my forehead against his. "I wouldn't dream of it." My voice was hoarse, needy.

I was lifted up higher and pressed against the wall again, and then he entered me; fully.

The slickness from my excitement made the experience pain free, but the sheer _width_ of him caused me to gasp and stiffen up, my body struggling to adjust.

Hissing, Godric held me still against him, his muscles shaking with the iron control he was exercising in order to give me time to accept his presence within me.

We both felt the moment I was ready. I threw my head against the wall as he pulled back, only to slam right back.

I had honestly imagined sex with Godric many, many times, seeing as I spent months with feverish dreams of exactly that scenario after he gave me his blood, but even in the most desperate times I had never imagined _this_.

His need was as intense as my own, and he drove into me mercilessly, causing my paintings to drop from the wall we were against until he turned us around, tossed me on the couch and quickly followed, re-entering me with unnatural speed, as if being apart was physically painful.

My only focus was the wonderful friction that was both soothing and fuelling the fire in my body, until he reached in between us, forcing me into a violent climax, never slowing his movements. I saw bright lights while I convulsed under him, keening and trashing as he took full control of my body.

At some point the couch gave up underneath us. Godric braced me from the impact with his arms, easily rolling us off the ruined piece of furniture, tipping over the coffee table in the process and landing us on the floor, still with me beneath him. I clung to him, desperately clawing at his skin, my hips slamming into the floor with enough strength for bursts of pain to seep through my lust-induced haze.

"Bed!" I managed to gasp.

He grunted, and I was lifted up, legs still around his hips, only to be crashed into the wall in the hallway, his arms taking the brunt of the impact.

I came again before we made it to the bedroom, just as Godric buried his fangs in my neck, drinking deeply.

My pleasured scream turned into whimpers, not from pain but from the intensity of the emotions burning through my body and mind.

Godric lifted his head from my neck then, my blood colouring his lips and teeth. He had the most intense look I had ever seen in his dark eyes as he stared into mine, into my soul. "You. Are. _Mine._"

"Always been yours," I gasped, feeling the truth of the words as I spoke them. His body was claiming me now, but I had belonged to him from the moment I _saw_ him.

In a blur we were in bed, and my body was once again straining under his, fighting for release.

"Please," I begged, as he tossed his head back, pinning my shoulders to the mattress, lost in the shared pleasure. "Please, Godric, I need you to… Oh, Goddess, I need… with you!"

He heard me.

Letting go of my shoulders he leaned back on his knees, pulling my lower body up by the hips while he increased the speed he was driving into me with impossibly.

I was faintly aware of his growling shout of release as my entire body arched up, tensing every muscle in almost pained bliss. And then there was nothingness.

When I came to it was to the feeling of Godric's slow licks along the side of my neck where he'd bitten me. I cracked an eye open. "Still hungry?" My voice was hoarse, probably from screaming.

He looked up, his eyes softening. "No, my little mate. I am not."

Mate, huh? Someone certainly got in the sweet-talking mood after sex. Mind-blowing, out-of-this-world, fantastic-beyond-description sex.

I moved to scoot into his embrace, but winced when several of the muscles in my torso protested.

"Sophie," he murmured. "I was too rough." His fangs clicked into place and he lifted his wrist, without a doubt to bite into it.

My hand slapped down on his arm. "Don't even think about it! I'm fine, just a bit sore." Ok, a bit more than a bit. But it was a comfortable, sultry ache that confirmed that I hadn't just passed out and had the best dream ever. I rolled over so I could cuddle into his armpit, nuzzling his chest.

"I wish you would take my blood," He said, folding me into his arms.

"And I wish you'd not be so blood-obsessed, but what are you gonna do?" I sighed, way too content to be bothered by it.

His chuckle was muted by my –probably wild – hair.

"Is it always like this?" I asked after a few minute's silence.

"Sex?"

"Yeah. With you, I mean, because it's sure never been like this for me before."

A rather satisfied expression swept over the vampire's face for a brief moment. "No. This was… special. I shall be gentler, the next time."

I'd have liked to tease him about not being sure there'd be a next time with the way he'd worn the needed parts out, but I didn't relish in the thought of being force-fed blood during cuddle time, so I closed my eyes instead, letting the exhaustion take hold of my mind as well as my body.

"I will be back tomorrow, little one," his voice sounded against me, and I instinctually wrapped my arm tighter over his chest. "I will be late, but I will be here. Will you wait up for me so we can talk?"

"Mhm," I sighed, and then remembered something I needed to ask him. "Godric?"

"Yes?"

"How do I taste?"

His soft chuckle ghosted through my hair before his lips kissed my temple. "You taste like the sun, Sophie."

I was too tired to figure out if that was a good or a bad thing for a vampire. And then the low, soothing purr that was the sound he made just for me started vibrating through his chest, and I fell asleep, smiling.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning Godric was gone, but his scent lingered in my bedding.

I rolled over, sighing happily as my stiff limbs and sore abdomen reminded me of the night I had spent with him. With a pleasurable hum I buried my nose in the pillow he'd used, inhaling the wild, crisp, earthy aroma he'd left behind.

And that's when it hit me.

I was helplessly, irrevocably in love with Godric.

Nausea exploded in my stomach. Ignoring my body's protests I ran to the bathroom and threw myself in front of the toilet just in time. After it was done I stayed on the floor, shaking with fear.

I did this. It was _my_ fault, and it was too late to fix; we were out of time. I had put myself right in the path of utter destruction, and there was only one thing left that I could do to survive this. I let out a wail of grief, clutching my arms around my torso in an attempt at keeping myself together, breathing deeply to try and stop the sobs that threatened to overtake my entire body. After about fifteen minutes I had managed to force the pain down enough so that I could do what I needed to.

With mechanical movements I got up off the floor, walking back to the bedroom. I threw on some clothes, dug out a couple of folded-up boxes from the back of my closet and started packing.

Two hours later I left the hardest note I have ever had to write on the kitchen counter and walked to the door with the last box I could fit in my car under one arm. I cast a last glance around the small living space, biting my bottom lip when my eyes fell on the painting of a sunset Godric had admired one of the first times he came to visit me. It lay on the floor - along with several other pieces - where it had fallen the night before.

* * *

_I can't do this. _

_I have left Dallas and I will not be coming back._

_Please, do not forget what I have told you; I could not bear to exist in a world that would never see the kindness within you._

_I will remember you always._

_Forgive me._

_Sophie_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_You guys seriously crack me up (I especially appreciated the Gollum-impersonation), but I'm sensing that a little Godric-therapy is needed here, so this is sort of a small intermission-chapter._

_Sorry about all the angst – it'll stick around for a little while longer, I'm afraid._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**13**

It was a curious thing, having claimed Sophie.

With her soul-sensing and her belief in the universal balance and her sheer _humanity _she'd managed to reconnect him to life in a way he'd never even thought he wanted, and she had stirred human notions such as hope and love, which he thought long lost alongside his soul. And yet, finally taking her as his own had awoken the beast – the monster - in him like nothing had in centuries; the need to possess, to mark, to dominate had been uncontrollable.

He had spent so long fighting against that beast, shackling it, that the feeling of it breaking free should have been terrifying.

But as he'd laid with Sophie the night before, tending to the fang marks he'd made in her delicate neck, he had found that he was more calm, more at peace than ever before in his more than two thousand years of existence.

With her by his side the beast and the man were in unison within him, finally.

He felt elated at the prospect of seeing her again when he landed in front of her house, later than he'd wished due to his duties. No lights shone through the windows, so he assumed that she must have given up waiting up for him.

A happy purr escaped his beast when the thought of waking her up, thoroughly, crossed his mind, but he suppressed it. They did need to talk. He knew she did not understand fully what he wanted from her, and he was under no illusion that he knew of all it took to fulfil the duties one needed to when in a relationship with a modern, human woman. They would have to carefully negotiate, and he suspected that it would be a battle with her - she was stubborn and independent, and while he appreciated those traits in her, he would prefer if she lived them out under his roof, under his constant protection. But he also knew that if he came on too strong, too... _vampire_, she might bolt. And that was one thing he would not allow for. She was _his_.

Godric slipped out the key he'd had made for her house - without her knowledge, so he had no intentions of ever letting her know, as he was certain she would deem it 'creepy' and freak out again - and let himself in.

His brows furrowed when he realised that the door had been unlocked. He had planned to use that as an excuse as to how he got into her house, but the knowledge of her actually sleeping unprotected behind an unlocked door made his insides twist, the beast waking with a protective growl.

The house was quiet, and he did not need the lights on to see that the living room was in the same, shattered state as they had left it in the night before. But something was off. He noticed the bookshelf, and saw that her pagan books and alter were missing. Not on the floor - they hadn't toppled over the shelf last night. Just gone.

His gaze fell on a note on the kitchen counter at the same time as he strained his hearing for the sound of her breathing and heartbeat, finding... nothing.

An emotion he was rather unfamiliar with coiled in the pit of his stomach: Fear.

He was in her bedroom in the blink of an eye, searching for her or any sign of her, but there was nothing. The bathroom was also vacant of his mate.

Inhaling deeply he scanned the air for signs of intruders that he'd missed when entering, but the only scents he caught was from her and himself. No one had taken her from this house.

Remembering the note he zipped back into the kitchen, picking it up.

_I can't do this._

_I have left Dallas and I will not be coming back._

_Please, do not forget what I have told you; I could not bear to exist in a world that would never see the kindness within you._

_I will remember you always._

_Forgive me._

_Sophie_

Godric had once told his progeny that a vampire doesn't succumb to his emotions - he controls them.

And that's what he did. He controlled the pain of her rejection, the fear of never seeing her again and the _anger_ that she would deny his claim on her; a claim she herself had confirmed.

Taking the time to crumble up the offending piece of paper he closed his eyes, seeking the connection he already knew wasn't there. A wall of nothingness washed over him, as he had known it would. Their bond had faded completely, and he had no feeling of her emotions or whereabouts. If only she had accepted his blood last night...He snapped his phone up, pressing in her details and hitting 'send'.

It went straight to voice mail.

"Sophie, what are you doing?" He let a little of his anger slip through his controlled voice; she needed to know that this behaviour was not acceptable. "Come home. We will talk."

Hanging up he headed out the door, calling the human in the police force tasked with cooperating with the local vampire Sheriff. Godric quickly gave him Sophie's car's description and license plate info - and added a description of Sophie, requesting she be detained until he could come pick her up, should any of the police officers come across her. It wasn't strictly legal, but Godric had had a good working relationship with the man since vampires came out of the coffin.

And then he started hunting for her.

He went to the place where her car had been parked, crouched down and sniffed the dirt. The freshest tracks were many hours old, but as they hadn't been mixed with the pollution of other humans he could easily pick out her scent.

It got harder as he got to the more populated areas, but he was a very, very skilled hunter, and an hour before dawn he easily scaled the fence to a used car dealership, landing next to the battered, yellow car that smelled so intoxicatingly like Sophie.

She had sold her car. She had _sold_ her car in an effort to shake him off her track!

The anger he had controlled until now burst through, and he reached out and ripped off the driver side door, effortlessly jumping in, in search for any clues that would help his further hunt.

Dangling from the rear-view mirror he found her silver necklace with the pentagram that she'd worn to the party where he had publically claimed her. He stared at it, anger slowly dying for something else – something worse. He _knew_ she had left that necklace behind for him to find, if he tracked her. And he knew what it meant.

This was her plea for him to not come after her. She didn't _want_ him to come for her. She didn't want _him_.

Loss burned in his blood. Oh, yes, it was much, much worse than anger.

He crawled back out of the car, staring blindly into the night. She had truly left him.

And then realisation came to him: _This_ was his punishment for the centuries upon centuries of horrors he had committed. Being denied by his mate. And facing the eternity without her.

It was a curious thing, losing your soul. The pain was immense; enough to send even a 2000 year old immortal to his knees, but after... after, there was just a dull ache over nothingness. There was nothing _to_ feel, apart from the sore edges of the hole where _she_ was missing.

Godric got up from the ground, where he'd been hunched over in agony, glancing at his phone. It seemed that Eric had been ringing him for a while, probably sensing the pain through their bond. Dispassionately, he answered the call.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**14**

My life in Kentucky was on one hand exactly the same as it had been in Dallas and in every other place I'd lived for the past three years, while on the other… it was not.

I had stumbled on the job at a local diner just off the highway while driving through the small town on my way to Maine (because that was about as far away I could get from Texas without actually going to Alaska) and decided to stay for a bit to earn some more money, and was living in a small rental around the corner from my work. Meaningless job, no roots – pretty much the story of my life so far, nothing new there.

But there were two things that were different. First and foremost there was a new, gaping hole inside of me filled with pain and memories of Godric. I did my very best to cover it, but I found that when I wasn't working come sunset (I'd requested the evening shift for this specific reason) I usually had a drink around this time of day to numb the sharp spike of longing that washed through me as I saw the sky darken.

I knew he had been looking for me. When I checked my email a couple of days after running away, I found a mail from my sister asking why she had received a visit from the very sexy _'omg Sophie, he was wearing this black tank-top and tight, black jeans and you could just see every muscle in his torso – I mean it, he was literally _dripping_ sex all over the front porch!'_ Mr Northman, asking for my whereabouts.

Not wanting Catherine to get mixed up with vampires, and not wanting to be the topic of choice among my family – again – I emailed her back saying I was fine, but that I would be out of touch for a while. And as an afterthought, I added not to worry. It was a strange thought, that she did, but she must have to send me that mail in the first place.

Every single night I had to fight the urge to call him and beg his forgiveness. I was fully aware that now, two and a half months later, he would have moved on, but I… I hadn't. I still loved him something fierce, but it also still scared me to no ends. I was just too _damaged_ to be someone's girlfriend. So I never did turn on my old phone to call.

The other thing that was different was the witch coven I'd joined. Yeah. I didn't see that coming.

It was pretty much an accident that I did as well. I had been in the process dragging boxes from my car to the little trailer I'd just rented when this guy popped his head out from the trailer next to mine, asking if I needed a hand. He then proceeded to jump out, grab one of my boxes and speed-talk at me about… I don't even remember what. It stopped when he glanced down into the box and spotted one of my spiritual books.

"Are you a witch?" he'd asked.

I'd told him that I was 'spiritual', preparing to tell him that no, that didn't mean that I worshipped the devil (we were in backwater Kentucky, so yes, I did have some prejudice), but he thoroughly surprised me by stating that he, himself, was an actual witch and that I should come meet his coven as it was always hard to find new, spiritual people in the area.

I managed to hide my surprise that there was such a thing as male witches (I really had quite a few prejudices… should probably work on those) and agreed, because – honestly – ever since Godric told me that real witches existed I'd been dying to know more about them.

And that's how I got involved with witches.

They were a very relaxed and friendly group, and in the beginning it pretty much just seemed like a meditation –slash-coffee gathering, which was exactly what I needed. I lost myself completely in the spiritual world, went on guided spirit walks, worked on expanding my sixth sense and hugged a whole lot of trees.

It wasn't until the night that Margery, during a session, pulled a small fireball out of the air and had it balancing over her palm that I realised that being a witch was a whole lot more intense than what I'd thought.

The others seemed pleased, praising her progress like she'd just managed to pull an extra-complicated cake out of the oven without burning the edges. While I… well, I pretty much just sat there, gaping unattractively like a stunned fish. I had no _idea!_ I mean, I did – the whole "real witches" indicated that magic was real too, but I'd just never _seen…_ I was all kinds of amazed. And a little freaked out.

In the coffee break Margery sought me out, a small smile on her lips at my round eyes.

"So… that's the first time you've _seen_ magic?"

I nodded, sipping my too-hot coffee to avoid eye contact. "Never realised that witches could do that."

Her smile grew wider. "We can, if we practice. Would you like to learn how?"

Choking on my coffee I shook my head, trying to regain the ability to breathe. "I'm not a witch," I eventually croaked. "I mean, I am into the whole energies thing, but I can't do _that!_ I'm not magical."

"Hmm." She calmly plucked the cup from me and grabbed a hold of one of my hands. "The thing most people don't know about witches is that the ability to work with the elements and energies lays dormant in most of us. We're the only supernaturals who are really just human, with a lot of focus. _You_ don't have to be magical, Sophie. The magic is within you already. And I have felt you when we do energy work – you are already so open. If you wanted to, you could learn."

_?!_

"_I_ could do magic?! Me?" I asked, sure I was missing some punch line.

She nodded seriously. "Do you want to learn?"

* * *

I spent all my free time practising after that, often guided by Margery. And well, I say practising… mainly, I just sat there, staring straight ahead willing something to happen that never did. It was deeply frustrating, and Margery just kept telling me to be patient, that I was close.

I didn't feel close. I felt like an idiot, and wished that I could just go back to the days of being satisfied with sensing the energies in the world. But that wasn't an option – not when _real magic_ had been dangled in front of my nose.

So a Wednesday night in the middle of March, after having worked with Margery for a couple of hours – getting nowhere – I needed a break from all the spiritual stuff, and I pulled out the bottle of brandy that I hadn't touched for weeks. And I got really, really, _really _drunk, sat alone in my trailer. Very classy.

And then I got really, really sad, because when the liquor took over my brain my carefully-upheld shields crumbled down around the big, gaping hole of pain that held my memories of Godric. I missed him… I missed him _so much_, and I needed to just hear his voice one more time. Just one time.

Before I even realised what I was doing I was stumbling around the trailer, looking for my old phone. I turned it on, after a bit of drunken trial and error, and found his number. And pressed call.

My heart was thumping hard in my chest while I waited for the call to connect, every ring increasing my need to hear him. What if he wouldn't pick up when he saw my name flash on the screen? What if he'd gotten a new number?

"_Sophie?"_

The smooth, soft voice floating into my ear sent a shudder of pain and pleasure through me, and I choked on a sob, pressing it down.

"_Sophie,"_ he said again, and then there was a long silence while I breathed raggedly into the phone, wishing he would say my name again. Hearing him say it after so long felt like what I imagined a crack addict felt like after getting their first fix in a month – laced with heartache, of course.

"_Please, just tell me that you are safe."_

The plea in his tone tore at me, making me gasp from the ache in my stomach.

"_Please."_

I still couldn't deny him anything when he spoke so softly.

"I am safe," I whispered.

He exhaled into the phone, into my ear, and I couldn't hold it together anymore. Just as he spoke again I hung up, disconnecting the call and turning off my phone before I sunk down to the floor, curling up around it and crying until I fell into a restless, drunken slumber.

I was really hung over when I woke up the next day, but I had to get ready for work in the afternoon so I crawled around my small living space, showering and drinking as much coffee as I could fit in my stomach, studiously avoiding to look at the phone that was still laying in the middle of the floor.

It wasn't until my shift (my nightmare of a shift – no one should ever be forced to serve greasy food when nursing a hangover) ended and I was on my way home that I let myself think about last night's phone call.

He had cared that I was safe, still, even after how I left him high and dry, with no warning. Always had had quite a bit of a hero complex, that one.

When I entered my little home and saw the phone on the floor I knew I needed to hear his voice again. But I couldn't call him; drunk-calling your ex was on a one-time allowance. Besides, I wasn't touching alcohol again for the next many, many months…

But maybe he'd left a voice message or something the night I left?

Gingerly I sat down on the floor, picking up the phone. After turning it on I called my voice mail, hoping for the best.

"_Sophie, what are you doing? Come home. We will talk."_ He had recorded that message in the early hours of the 31st of December, and he sounded angry. I guessed that that was shortly after finding my cowardly note. I was such a coward.

I waited for the next message, hoping it was from him too. It was. And so was the next, and the next.

"_I found your necklace and I understand. Know that I will not track you, will not follow you."_ That one was from the late evening on the 31st.

"_I know I do not deserve you, my light, and I am not asking that you return, but I do need to know that you are safe. I said I would not track you, and I will not, but I am begging you to let me know that you are safe, wherever you are."_ That was from a few weeks into January.

I don't know what was worse – the pained but somehow… detached voice or the words themselves.

Nothing hurts quite like causing your loved one harm. And I'd caused Godric pain. So very much pain. What on Earth had I done? _How_ had this not been at the forefront of my mind when I left? How had I let my own feelings outweigh his? I hadn't even really considered that the attachment from his end could have been anywhere near as strong as mine.

He thought that he didn't deserve me?! Well, I suppose he didn't – he didn't deserve someone as cowardly and cruel.

Oh, Goddess, I'd fucked up. And it might be too late to fix, now. But I did have to try. And I did owe him an explanation, if he still wanted one.

My hands were shaking when I picked up the phone to call him again, but I couldn't press 'call' on his number. I didn't even know what I would say. I didn't even know that we could pick up where we left off, or that I was capable of doing so. And I most definitely couldn't do this over the phone.

The first impulse that shot through me was to just get in my car and start driving until I got to Dallas. And him.

But I'd done this too many times – picking up and running, leaving people behind. If I was to try this, if Godric would even want to, I needed to change my pattern. I needed to get my emotions and fears under control, because if I was given a chance to make this right and I hadn't faced this need to flee as soon as things got too intense, I'd just ruin it again, like the massive fuckup that I was.

So what I needed to do was get my affairs sorted out here. Actually give in my two weeks' notice, not just call from the car on the way out of town as I'd done to Dennis, actually tell people that I would be moving. Exchange contact info; all the things that normal-headed people did.

Maybe look up a therapist in Dallas.

I shuddered at that thought. Okay, maybe just small steps in the beginning.

It was a nice feeling, having a sorta-plan for my nearest future, and so very new. I hadn't had that since I enrolled in college. Hm. Maybe not the best comparison, seeing how _that_ had turned out.

But I went to bed calmer than I had for months, nursing that little flame of hope in my stomach. Maybe, just maybe, things could work out as I'd planned. Somehow.

* * *

Of course, they didn't. They never do; I'm just not one of _those_ people, you know, the ones who get to make plans. Superior bastards.

The next day started well, though. I called Margery and told her of my plans to move away, and she surprised me by saying: "_About time."_

"Huh?" I'd thought she liked me well enough.

She cackled into the phone, obviously noticing my insulted tone.

"_You're going back to that guy, aren't you? The one that made you hightail it across the country?"_

Damned witch. "Yeah," I admitted, because you really might as well just give up trying to lie to a witch.

"_Well, good. Maybe that will get your head screwed properly back on again. I will come visit you."_

That made me smile. "I'd really like that, Margery."

"_Well, good! But when are you leaving? Do we have time to throw together a small farewell party?"_

A goodbye party? Hell, that'd be a first. "Well, I'm giving in my two-week's notice at the diner today so I have a bit of time."

"_Excellent," she chirped. "I'll see you tomorrow for the Midnight Meet and we can talk a bit more about this guy, yeah?"_

"Sure," I agreed, and we said our goodbyes so I could get ready for work.

My boss was sad that I gave in my notice, which was nice, and I ended my shift feeling rather okay, which may not sound like something extraordinarily great, but to me, it was a massive improvement from the past few months.

So when I left work shortly after midnight and walked down the deserted road towards the small trailer park I lived in, I was happily humming. I even allowed myself to fantasise that Godric would forgive me, that he wouldn't have moved on or found another human companion (a thought that'd frequently made me sick to my stomach after I left).

A small _'thud'_ sounded from the dirt road behind me, and before I even managed to tell myself that it was just some clumsy, nocturnal animal, I heard the very, _very_ last thing I'd expected.

"Found you, breather."

_That voice!_

I spun around, automatically clutching my handbag in front of my chest – because _of course_ this was a mugging situation – and saw a tall, eerily familiar figure looming in the middle of the road, hands casually thrust into the front pockets of his tight jeans.

"_Eric?!"_ My voice broke in disbelief.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and I shivered at the cold expression in them. "Oh, good, so you aren't suffering from amnesia."

I blinked at him, puzzled. "W-wha..?"

"That would be about the only excuse I'd accept from you. And since that isn't the case, I get to do this the fun way." He removed his hands from his pockets, a slightly predatory edge to his posture suddenly slipping into place.

Gulping I started backing, slowly. "Look, I don't know what you're doing here, but I'm sure Godric wouldn't want you to drain me, no matter how bad things ended!" Quite the cowardly move to throw Godric's name at him, but when faced with a lethal predator you really just try anything.

He snorted and then started stalking me, copying each of my steps backwards with a cocky saunter, cold eyes never leaving mine. "My Maker is rather dumb when it comes to you, you little cunt. So I will do what he failed at. _No one_ denies my Master, especially not an insignificant human like yourself."

I gasped at the insult, which was really not the thing to get upset over at this time, as I was fairly certain I only had moments left to live.

He smirked at my reaction. "Ooh? You don't like that name?"

"Please, Eric," I said, changing tactics. "I'm sorry for what I did, leaving him, but I thought you'd be happy? You wanted me gone," I tried to reason.

"Oh, I'm ecstatic." The smirk slipped off his face, leaving blankness and those icy blue eyes.

I swallowed hard as he hunched just a tad more, muscles contracting in that tell-tale way I'd seen on nature programs when a feline was seconds from jumping their prey.

My instincts took over and I spun around to run.

Which was, of course, borderline idiotic. He caught me before I took more than one step, pulling my back into his chest, lifting me off the ground.

"Now, now," he purred into my ear. "You don't wanna be doing that, little breather. I'll forget why I'm here." He trailed his nose along my neck, inhaling deeply, and I shuddered and went rigid in his grasp.

"Please," I gasped. This was not how I'd imagined things to go. I couldn't die _now_, without trying to make everything right, apologise. "Godric…"

His growl interrupted me. "You do not get to say his name!" he hissed into my ear, and then everything blurred for a few seconds until we were off the road and in the middle of the small bit of woodland that lined the trailer park.

The tall Viking lowered us to the ground in a sitting position, still with my back pressed against his chest, easily immobilising my attempts to kick at him and wriggle away by throwing a long leg over my thighs, crossing down over my knees. I might as well have tried to kick off a mountain range. He simply ignored my flailing arms, not even deeming them enough of an annoyance to pin them.

And then his bleeding, right wrist suddenly appeared in front of my face.

"Drink."

My eyes bulged. _What_ the actual _fuck?!_

"No!" No, no, _no!_ I was _not_ forming a blood bond with Eric, of all people!

He sighed behind me, pressing his wrist hard against my mouth – which I instantly clamped shut, lips tightly pressed together – and grabbed my nose with the other hand, pinching off my air supply.

Eventually, I gasped for air, and instantly, I had his bloody wrist in my mouth, thick liquid filling my mouth.

I coughed and sputtered but he kept his arm in place, ensuring that I swallowed everything, until my struggle became more frantic as I was choking from the lack of air.

He let me have a moment to cough and gasp before he bit into his wrist again, pressing it right back.

Not wanting to have my nose pinches shut again, like some child not wanting to take their medicine, I didn't close my lips this time, but I _did_ bite him as hard as I could. Unfortunately, that just got a pleasured groan from Eric, so I quickly let go, allowing the blood to drip past my lips.

"There's a good girl," he purred, a husky note evident in his tone. "When I'm done with you there will be no more running away, ever again."

I growled angrily against his arm, to absolutely no avail as gulp after gulp of his heady, dark life essence passed my throat. The fact that Eric moaned happily during the entire process, his excitement hard and evident against my back, made the whole experience quite a bit more rapey than being force-fed blood should have been. Not that I'm an expert on the subject, obviously.

He bit into his wrist three more times, making me drink until the wound closed, and I was getting quite woozy.

When he finally released me I felt pretty buzzed.

"You psychopathic arsehole!" I gasped, spitting out what little of his blood remained in my mouth.

"Mmh, dirty talk." He got up effortlessly, hard eyes staring me down. "Save that for Godric. You're going back with me. Now."

I rolled over on my back, my legs too oddly energised to want to corporate to get up. The night above me was alight in colours, and I could make out the energy sparkling within every single leaf on the bushes and trees above us. Oh, I was _so_ high! Just typical that my first high would be after being forced to down V straight from the source.

"I was going back anyway," I sighed, rubbing against the earth beneath me. It felt so _good_, like being embraced by the planet. "If you'd waited two more weeks I'd been on my way." Something occurred to me, and I looked up at him. He seemed aglow with the source of life itself.

"Oooh!" I breathed. "You're pretty! A pretty sociopath!"

Eric sighed. "Get up."

"Can't. Too high." I dug my fingers into the dirt. "How did you find me?"

"I traced your cell-phone, you idiot. The moment you turned it on the gps in it alerted me."

I'd somehow imagined something more… I dunno, mystical. It was a bit deflating.

"Really?"

He just cocked an eyebrow at me.

I rolled around on my belly, sniffing the ground beneath me. It smelled amazing, so full of scents I didn't recognise.

Suddenly, I was hoisted up by my jacket, and I laughed happily at the floating sensation.

"Humans," Eric sneered from somewhere above me.

Sudden realisation hit me, taking the edge off my buzz. "Eric, you can't take me back! "

"Oh, but I can."

"No, you don't understand!" I swung a little, trying to turn around so I could look up at him, failing. "I have to go by myself, or he will just think that I didn't want to."

I was lowered and felt the ground underneath my shoes. I turned around and looked up at the Nordic god.

His face was blank, but his eyes considered me calculatingly. Finally, he nodded. "You will leave tomorrow morning, and you will not stop for anything but sleep until you are at his home. If I find that you have slowed down or strayed I _will_ find you and you _will_ be sorry."

I didn't doubt it.

"You really do love him, don't you?" I asked impulsively.

His gaze turned colder. "Don't use words I don't understand."

My lips turned up into a smile before I could stop them. He narrowed his eyes at me in response.

"Go home, breather. Pack if you must. I expect you to be in Dallas in three nights, grovelling at his feet."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**15**

I think I was still a little high when I woke up early the next morning, panting from a _very_ disturbing dream involving Eric and a dungeon. I got up, feeling _dirty_, and not just because of the soil that was caked in my hair and smeared over my face from my rolling around 'sensing' the Earth last night, and thus headed straight for the shower, where I very adamantly ignored the throbbing from down low, turning the water to cooler than what I normally enjoyed.

Getting out I quickly packed my belongings up and grabbed my phone on the way out the door. I called my landlord, telling him I'd left the keys under the welcome mat, I called (and woke up) my boss at the diner, apologised profusely, claiming family emergency, and then I called Margery.

She had just gotten up herself.

"_Are you alright, Sophie? You sound a little wired."_

"Too much coffee." And vampire blood. Definitely too much vampire blood. Goddess, Eric would pay as soon as I got the chance. "Listen, Marge, something's come up and I'll need to get going today – now. But I'd still really like to keep in touch and maybe arrange visits? Is it OK if I text you my email address and new number?"

"_Well… sure."_ She sounded a little concerned. _"But what's up? Is it something serious?"_

I sighed. "Nah. Well, yes and no. It's a little hard to explain." How did one explain that the over-dominating vampire progeny of one's ex-lover had blown into town, forced a blood-bond and demanded instant action? "Everything will be fine, really, I just need to leave sooner than I'd thought. So… I guess I'll see you the next time you're in Dallas?"

She sighed on the other end. _"Just be careful, girl. I know whatever you had with that guy was intense, if it was enough for you to just up and leave. And don't you think you can hide down there! I'll be visiting soon!"_

I smiled broadly. "I'll hold you to that! Say goodbye to everyone for me, please?"

"_Sure. Talk to you soon, Sophie."_

* * *

The next days I spent driving, only stopping for gas and bathroom breaks, picking up food I could eat in the car at gas stations. And thinking; about Godric, about how he'd react to seeing me again. I somehow doubted that he'd be able to just forgive and forget, and my inner tormenter kept pointing out that there was every chance that he didn't want to have anything to do with me. He was an immortal, after all, and the fact that he had spent any time with me at all was completely unreal. And maybe… Maybe, he'd pretend like he'd forgiven me, only to dump me on the curb like trash when he'd made sure I trusted him and let myself be vulnerable. When _that_ particular thought crept into my mind I had to cling on to the steering wheel until my knuckles whitened to not rip the car around, and the only thing that stopped me from doing exactly that when I crossed the state line into Texas was literally the thought of the blood-bond I shared with Eric and what he'd do to me if I bailed. I did, however, have to pull over and hyperventilate for a while, until the panic attack went away again.

The nights yielded preciously little sleep as I found it hard to doze off due to pent-up anxiety about seeing Godric soon, and it was even harder to get any rest as my dreams were saturated by Eric. It was a strange sensation; when I was awake I hated the cocky, blonde vampire, but as soon as sleep took me away, all I wanted was the pleasure he'd forced on me. I was not loving this dual-experience, which really just fuelled my daytime-hate to him more.

I made it into Dallas a couple of hours after sunset on the final night, and drove straight to the fancy neighbourhood where Godric lived, heart thumping harder and harder (and relocating to my throat in the process). And even though I made sure to stay well within the speed limit, I eventually pulled up in front of the impressive driveway, parking up on the curb rather than driving up to the door.

So this was it. Moment of truth. The goddamn reckoning.

I stayed in my car for twenty minutes more, hands stuck to the steering wheel until the knowledge that _Godric_ might be only a few yards away finally allowed me to peel myself free. It took fifteen more minutes to get my legs to carry me out of the car and up to the door. And another five before my shaking hand came up to knock.

Only a short moment passed before the door was opened, and the Latina vampire – Isabel – stood there, staring at me with a blank expression.

Well… this was a little awkward. Did she even remember me..?

"Er… is Godric in..?" I managed, self-consciously smoothing my hair down. She just had that effect.

She stared at me for a moment longer, and then did the least vampireish thing any vampire's ever done in the history of vampires – she pulled me in for a brief hug, muttering "Gracias a Dios."

And as if it couldn't get any weirder, she then stiffened, sniffing me briefly, and letting go, a shocked look on her face.

"Uh..?"

"Oh, don't worry, child. Come, he is in." She stepped back so I could get in, and then let me through the grand house that seemed sort of empty to me, without smartly dressed vampires lurking around the rooms.

The walk took forever, my already-overloaded system gathering up more and more nervous energy for every step across the white marble spanning the entire floor of the mansion. But finally, finally, Isabel knocked on a half-open door, stepping in and pulling me with her. And there he sat, in a hideous, white, modern chair, staring at two vampires who were kneeling in front of him, heads bent. We were obviously interrupting something.

"Sheriff, I am sorry to disturb you, but you have a visitor."

"Show them to the waiting area, Isabel. This will take a while." Godric's voice was icy and detached and so… so different. It made my heart ache. I made to turn around and leave, but Isabel's light grip on my arm stopped me.

"I don't think this can wait, Sheriff," she insisted.

He looked up then, pale face impassive and as perfectly sculptured as I remembered it, but there was something different there. It seemed like pain was straining behind that flawless mask, threatening to break through the cracks. I wondered if my face looked the same; I sure felt like that.

When his eyes locked on my form they widened slightly, but the rest of him was still as a sculpture. Until he, in a smooth but authoritarian tone, said: "Leave."

The shock that went through me nearly made my knees buckle. I felt tears sting my eyes as I tried to turn around, dazed from the harsh rejection, but again Isabel's hand stopped me.

Godric's head had turned to the vampires on the floor. "I will summon you when I wish to resume this."

The two '_swooshed_' past me before I'd fully realised that he hadn't spoken to me. A light squeeze on my arm notified me of Isabel's departure.

And then it was just him and me in the big office.

He got to his feet elegantly, at human pace, but stayed by the chair, keeping distance between us.

"Hey," I croaked, my brain apparently deciding that I didn't need anything more appropriate after two and a half months.

"Why are you here, Sophie?" The velvet touch of his voice made me shiver.

I pulled an unattractive face, half shrugging. "Well... I… thought maybe we needed to… talk."

"I was planning to talk to you the night you left."

Well, ouch.

"Yeah… I shouldn't have done that."

Only his silence met me. Oh, this was not going to be easy. Might have been easier if I could actually find the right words. Or think, while his dark-steel eyes bored into mine. I vaguely noted that I remembered them as lighter, more mercury coloured, though I could make out the blue flecks in them – probably thanks to Eric's blood.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I'm really sorry."

A ghost of a joyless smile brushed over his face for a brief moment. "You do not have to feel sorry, child. It was fated."

What? And… _child?!_

"What are you talking about?" I was too confused to be bothered about my mouth hanging slightly open.

"The only way for me to repent was this way." He sounded the full twenty one hundred years his birth certificate would have sported, had they been a thing back in the day.

Oh, _great_, we were back on this bandwagon again.

"For fuck's sake, Godric!" I placed my hands on my hips, annoyance taking the front seat to my other emotions for the moment. "Didn't I tell you that what you need to do is act kindly, make up for all the evil? There is no need to be a martyr!"

"You did. And I will."

…

"Well? What is this 'fated' crap about then?" I demanded. "All that happened is that I'm a serious fuckup. I sincerely doubt that fate has anything to do with that."

He cocked his head slightly, as if he was studying every one of my features, memorising them. "Child, when one has inflicted as much suffering on the world as I, the only way for there to be any balance is to receive the same pain in return. Your decision to leave was fated, from the very beginning. As was me losing my soul to you."

"_Stop calling me a child!_" I shrilled, completely ignoring the last part. "And stop being so freaking patronising! Yeah, so you're old. Apparently, that doesn't mean you've managed to pick up a damn clue anywhere along the way! I fell in love with you, and it scared me, so I ran! How the fuck is that the same as you deserving pain? _I_ messed up, not the universe."

He sighed. "You do not love me, Sophie. You cannot."

I blinked, taken aback. "Ex_cuse_ me?! I think I'll be the expert witness on that one!"

"Did you know that I have taken a child from its mother's arms and made her watch while I drained it, slowly? In fact, I have done so many, many times. It was a sport. I shall not disturb you with what I did with the mothers, after."

It's pretty hard not to shudder when someone says something like that to you. I took a moment to collect myself from this lovely titbit of information. He watched me dispassionately the whole time.

"Well, thanks for sharing and all, but I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and say that you did this before you regained a conscience?"

"I did."

"Then I don't see the relevance."

His eyes narrowed slightly at me. "The relevance is that _I_ did these things, and so much worse. Conscience or no, _I_ am responsible. And someone as pure as you, Sophie, cannot share their soul with my taint."

Rolling my eyes at his melodrama I stepped across the room until I stood right in front of him. I clasped my palms to each side of his face and looked into his eyes. "I love you, you absolute jerk. And I don't know what that means for us, but could you please get over yourself so we can talk about it?"

It really wasn't how I'd ever imagined saying that. When I was younger and fantasised about my Prince Charming, saying 'I love you' usually happened on a flowery meadow while eating strawberries. Frequently, a white horse was prancing around in the background, too.

Godric looked suitably stunned. I briefly wondered if he'd had any romantic notions of such a moment, too, at any point in his long life.

Then he took a deep breath… and went rigid, eyes quickly scanning over my face and body before he grabbed my chin, moving my head from side to side, looking at my neck, bending his head and sniffing me thoroughly.

"Wha?" That had really not been among any of the anticipated outcomes.

"_Why_ do you smell of Eric?! Have you been hurt? Why did he give you blood? You told me, you were safe!"

O-oooh. _That_.

"Well, I _was_ safe, until he decided to drop from the sky and force his blood in me!" I snapped.

His eyes went predatory black in an instant. "You were uninjured?" he confirmed, voice like a glacier.

"Yes, I just said that. Bastard tracked my cell phone when I called you, and decided to go make sure I came back and wouldn't run away again." I glared at Godric. "And I _had_ decided to come back at that point, so don't start getting any silly ideas."

But Godric didn't look like he was getting any silly ideas. He looked rather scary, actually. Then he closed his black eyes, and I felt a wave of _power_ emanate from him like a physical presence in the room. My practice with the coven had improved my sixth sense quite a bit, it seemed.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, baffled by the sheer strength of his power as well as the reason for using it now.

He ignored me for a moment longer, before he opened his eyes again. "I am summoning my Son."

Oh, lovely. Couldn't wait to see that arsehole again.

"Did he hurt you?"

I blinked at that question. "You mean, apart from manhandling me and forcing his blood down my throat? No, he was a true gentleman. You did a great job at raising him, if that's your concern."

Godric's eyes were still very dark, but as he looked at me the pupils slowly allowed for more of the iris to show.

I sighed, suddenly feeling drained of all the energy that had made me jump into the previous tirade, and the anxiety and fear that had haunted me since I decided to go back – and since I left Dallas in the first place, really – washed over me. I looked down at my feet to avoid his gaze. Always did love the red flats I was wearing today.

"Godric," I murmured. "I _am_ sorry. This whole thing was my fault – it wasn't some grand design punishment from the Universe; I promise."

"Then why did you leave me?"

It was such a sad whisper that my insides twisted, and tears rose in my eyes. I looked up at him, smiling bitterly. "I told you; I'm a fuckup. I _kissed_ you, even though I should have known that… Look, I…" My courage faltered, and I bit my bottom lip, attempting to stop its quivering.

But I had to tell him – at least give him an overview. I owed him that much.

So I took a deep, deep breath. "The last guy I loved really, _really_ screwed me over, and I've had trouble trusting anyone since. He was the only one I'd loved, actually. And I panicked when I realised that… I loved you. Because what he did… I ended up… Godric, I lost _everything._" I looked up at him, pleading for him to understand. "I gave him absolutely everything, and he _crushed_ me. As a joke. I nearly killed myself. And if _he_ could get me so far out, then you certainly could too. "

His fangs slid out with a _click_, and I blinked in surprise.

With an effort he retracted them, not bothering to comment on the little mishap.

"What did he do, Sophie?"

Swallowing, I shook my head. "I can't do that… right now. I'll tell you, I promise, but just not now, okay? It is so humiliating."

"Later, then. But please, tell me his name?"

I closed my eyes for a minute, steadying my voice so I could actually say the name for the first time in so long. "Marcus."

"Surname?"

My eyes shot open. "W…why?"

His darkened gaze held mine. "Do not concern yourself with that, my light. Just give me the name, please."

I felt a weird pull on my mind, followed by the urge to do as he asked. "Gustafson."

"Thank you."

It was an odd sensation, having shared this with Godric. I hadn't spoken about it since I left – fled – college. It didn't feel like the relief it had been when I told him about my childhood and Bruce, but I did feel a little better for having told him _why_ I'd hightailed it out of there when things got serious.

"Sophie."

I looked up from the floor – where my eyes again had been studying my red ballet flats – and into Godric's beautiful face, Godric's beautiful eyes. Goddess, I'd _missed_ him.

His hand grasped mine, gently. "I would _never_ purposefully hurt you."

I smiled weakly at him. "Most of me believes that." And then, because I couldn't help myself, I asked: "Godric, did you find someone new? Am I… too late?"

To my great surprise he burst out in a deep laughter. Highly inappropriate, if you ask me. I stared at him in disbelief.

"_Someone new?_" he chuckled. "Sophie, if you had come to me as an old woman there would still not have been _someone new_. Are you truly _that_ blind?"

"Well," I defended. "I don't know how quickly you go through lovers."

Suddenly, his hands were around my face, his dark eyes peering intently into mine. "You were not my lover, little one. You were my mate, my soul."

I shivered at the intensity of his words and gaze. And at the tense he'd used. I w_as_. "A-am I too late?"

"Yes, much too late. Around two millennia and a century too late." He leaned his forehead against mine. "I could have been your husband, the father of your children, then."

"I do have terrible timing," I whispered shakily, sensing his responding smile.

His arms snaked around me, his lips ghosting kisses along my left temple. "You need to leave now, Sophie."

Startled, I looked up at him. "What? Why?"

"Because if you do not, my light, you will not have the chance again."

That didn't seem like such a horrible prospect right about now. I leaned into his embrace. "Does that mean that you forgive me?"

"No." He trailed more kisses along my forehead. "It means that I am giving you this one chance at leaving to continue a normal, human life. And you should take it." His hands clutched at the back of my top. "Because if you do not, you belong to the night, to me. And I will never, ever again let you leave."

Warmth spread in my body, partly from my heart, partly from something lower down. I put my arms loosely around his neck, not breaking up the light pecks he was now placing gingerly to my right temple. "I want to belong to you."

"You have said that before."

"I meant it then, too."

Godric pulled his head back, looking at me through narrowed eyes, letting me see the ever-present predator in him. "I have not forgiven you; I do not trust you. I _will_ keep you under my roof and protection at all times."

"I suppose I don't really deserve your trust again, yet," I sighed, my head tilting towards his mouth. He obediently started kissing my temple again. "And I have to be honest – I don't know that I won't have a freak out again. But I will try to tell you, and work on it, and not…" His mouth had gotten to my jaw and right ear, making it quite hard to think. "You sure you are trying to persuade me that it's best if I left? Because I think you're doing it wrong."

"Absolutely," he breathed huskily into my ear, his arms tightening around me. "You deserve the sun."

"Stars are suns too," I pointed out, lifting my head slightly, giving him easier access to my jawline.

"Babies."

"We can get cats."

"Someone who will grow old with you." He'd reached the left side of my jaw and was kissing up towards the ear.

I frowned. "Will you still care for me when I'm old and wrinkled?"

He smiled against my skin. "Yes. I will care for you always."

"So I get a young man to care for me in my old age? Hmm, you're right, that'd be horrid."

Godric chuckled in my left ear.

"Are you all out of reasons why I should leave, then?" I asked, a little breathless.

"Not even close. But _you_ are out of time." There was a bit of the predator in his voice.

I pulled my head back, sensing that we needed to stop heading down that particular trail now, or we wouldn't make it back anytime soon. "Okay, so… we are gonna try to work this out?" I confirmed.

He nodded seriously.

"You forgive me for…"

"No," he interrupted, eyes narrowing. "I do not. If you are right, and losing you is not my punishment, then I do not forgive you."

I worried my bottom lip between my teeth. "Right… So… you do _not_ forgive me, but you _do_ understand that I come with some emotional baggage and allow for me to mess up once in a while, while I'm trying to work through it?"

He nodded again, eyes still narrowed. "But you will not get to leave again."

Well, fat chance of that, with all the blood Eric had given me.

"… and we are… what?"

He looked at me, puzzled.

I sighed. "Am I your pet, then? Your lover? Girlfriend?"

"You are mine," was all he said.

"And you are mine, too?" I inquired, wanting to make sure that there was some equality here.

Dark eyes softened, a bit of mercury slipping into the irises. "I was always yours, little one."

I melted completely at that, obviously, and leaned in to kiss him.

Gently, he met my lips and brushed soft kisses over them, but too soon he pulled back.

"Sophie, I do truly believe that it would be best for you if you left," he whispered, sorrow evident in his eyes and voice. "I am not… I do not… I am so tainted. I should send you away, to protect you, but I am too weak."

"You are so incredibly stupid," I mumbled lovingly, pulling myself closer to him by the grip I had around his neck until my breasts, stomach and hips were flush against his hard body. "I love you, horrid past or not."

His hands slid down to my hips, pulling me closer still, leaving no air between our bodies. "I think, you are the stupid one, then. But I cannot help you – I cannot fight this. You are mine now. My love."

I don't think I'd ever felt so happy about being called stupid before. I leaned in again, only to be met by cool, fiery lips, and then a tongue.

Happily moaning I raked my fingers through his short, dark hair, biting his bottom lip as he growled against me, hands starting to tug at my top while I was backed towards what I presume was some sort of hard surface.

That sobered me, and I pulled back, looking into black eyes. "Godric… Maybe… maybe we can take it a bit slower?"

He looked rather confused, as if the notion was a foreign concept to him. His expression made me laugh, earning me a scowl.

"I'm sorry. It's just that… last time we went from friends to hot sex in minutes I freaked out. So maybe… if we slow it down a little this time?" My body was not agreeing, not one bit. It pressed closer to the – very - male form in front of me.

He breathed deeply, letting go of my top. "How slow are you thinking?"

My lips twitched at the dark look in his eyes.

"I dunno, maybe start out by taking me on an actual date before you try to destroy any more of my wardrobe?"

Godric grimaced at me, but when he pulled me into an embrace again his arms locked around my back and arms, his head resting against mine.

"I was so lost without you, my light."

I cried quite a bit more that night, but it was alright, because I did it in Godric's arms.

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_So. Much. Fluff! But I suppose that was to be expected - I hope it was enjoyable.  
Next chapter will feature some more of Eric, when he makes it down from Louisiana to deal with whatever his Maker's got planned for him. Spoiler: It won't be pretty.  
_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note/ Ratings Warning:**

_Things get a little dark and graphic here, so if violence and sex is not your thing then… Well, then I guess you wouldn't be reading True Blood fanfics. Please, do mind the M rating though._

_**Edit**: Ask, and you shall receive! I've inserted translations in brackets._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**16**

The whole waiting for a date-idea never really did work out, but I am somewhat proud of myself that it wasn't because I, when I woke up in Godric's bed after having dreamt of Eric again, rolled over and straddled his passed-out form.

I _did_ consider it – briefly - but besides the massive turn-off it was that he was literally dead to the world, it also felt rather inappropriate to take my dreams of his Son (ew, that really didn't make it sound any better) out on him. Also, I didn't know if it was actually possible… physically, I mean.

Resisting the urge to peek and find out I gently attempted to untangle myself from the spooning position I'd woken up in, only to feel a slight constriction around my body as he weakly clamped his arms and legs down firmer around me.

"No." It was such a faint whisper that I almost missed it.

Rolling around in his grip I gently stroked his face. "Shh, I just need the bathroom. I'm not leaving," I soothed him, feeling all kinds of horrible knowing that _I_ was the cause of this fear.

He didn't reply, but when I wiggled out of his grip he didn't fight back the sleep to stop me again.

Stretching, I walked around my boxes and suitcase that were in a small pile in the middle of the bedroom – and had appeared there at some point while Godric and I had sat in his office talking the night before – grabbing my toilet bag from inside my suitcase and went into the bathroom.

To my delight I saw that someone (I suspected Isabel, the blessed soul) had stocked it with toilet paper and extra towels.

After taking care of all my human needs – including enjoying a luxurious shower – I walked naked back into the bedroom, rummaging around until I found a pair of panties and a T-shirt before going back to the bed, where I sat down and just stared at Godric's sleeping form. I couldn't believe that he'd actually taken me back; that I got another chance with this man.

Finally, when my stomach noisily reminded me that it was into the afternoon and I hadn't eaten since around dinnertime the previous night, I got up, gently patting his ankle underneath the duvet covering him before I pulled my netbook from my handbag and went out the door in search of the kitchen.

To my surprise the kitchen was fairly decently stocked, and not with just-bought products either. The box of cereal was opened, and so was the jug of milk. How very odd – it almost looked like another human lived here. Of course, the big, 2-door stainless steel fridge also contained several crates of TruBlood, as well as some plastic bags filled with a thick, red liquid. Didn't really wanna guess on that one, though the answer was glaringly obvious.

I shuddered and got the milk out. At least I had yet to come across a room with humans for live feeding. .. Wait… that _would_ explain the opened milk and cereal.  
Shaking my head I decided that that was an idiotic train of thought, that Godric _of course_ didn't farm humans. I was gonna ask about the milk when he got up, though…

I opened up my netbook, hoping that the vampire would have an unlocked internet connection. Well, hoping that the vampire would know what the internet was would probably be a good start, but as it turned out, luck was on my side and I spent a few hours browsing for jobs and flats for rent, preferably not too far away from Godric. But of course, he lived in the most expensive area, so that was a vain hope. Fortunately, the whole flying-thing would cut down on travel time.

* * *

It was about two-three hours before sunset, and I was in the middle of snacking on a banana from the well-assorted fruit bowl, sending off my CV to a baker, when I heard a faint voice shouting my name.

Puzzled, I got up, just as it was repeated.

"_Sophie!"_

And then the kitchen door slammed open, and a frantic-looking Godric stood in the room, staring at me with wide eyes. He was wearing nothing but the silk boxers he'd put on for my sake before bed, and he looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Wha… _how_ are you awake?!" I stared at him, mouth open. The sun was very much up and reflecting off Godric's pale skin and bold tattoos.

He vamp-sped to me, making me jump when he grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me in against his naked chest. "I am old enough to wake earlier," he mumbled, sniffing my hair, fingers constricting around the muscles in my upper arms.

"Are you OK?" I asked worriedly, raising my hands to stroke soothingly along his back.

Godric hummed a confirmation into my hair, letting go of my shoulders and folding me into his arms, holding me tightly.

"You don't seem okay," I gently pointed out. "I mean, shouldn't you be… dead for the _day?_" I got that he wasn't bursting into flames because there was a UV protective layer on all windows in the house, but the whole 'vampire up before dark' just went against _all_ vampire myths -Twilight aside. (Yes, I totally glanced to see if he was sparkling a little at that thought. Disappointingly, he wasn't.)

"Did you have a bad dream?" Did vampires even dream?

"I woke and thought you had left me again."

My heart broke at the sad, lost tone; he sounded like a young boy. I had really, truly fucked up if that was the first conclusion he'd jump to. Wrapping my arms around him I nuzzled my head against his cheek. "I'm sorry. So sorry."

He turned his face to me, placing kisses along my cheekbone until I tilted my head so he could get to my lips. His hands slid down to my hips, grabbing them firmly, making me sigh with pleasure into his mouth.

The kisses became more intense, _he_ became more demanding, and soon his hands travelled further down, catching my backside and lifting me up, my knees spreading for his hips while he carried me to the kitchen island, smooth granite cooling my thighs' heated skin.

I let my hands enjoy the hard muscles of his back as we continued to kiss, making my lips tingle with sensation, and when he went up under my loose T-shirt I started tugging on his boxers without even realising what I was doing.

Godric pulled back a little, fingers stroking slowly and deliciously along the underside of my breasts, looking into my eyes with a burning need plain in his own, but the lost look was still there, too. "You do not wish to slow down any more?" His voice was hoarse.

Oh, right, that. My foggy mind tried to reason with my body, attempting to explain that sex might just make me freak out again, but the hot throbbing between my legs was having none of it. Besides, I was not about to turn Godric away when he was looking at me like _that_; when he needed the comfort of my body.

I shook my head, eyes dropping to his full lips. And then they were against mine again, harder this time, hands claiming my hips, tugging on the waistband of my boy cut panties as a finger slipped underneath, trailing over the lips before finding the centre. I moaned into his mouth, hands grasping at his back, quickly dipping down to pull his boxers off with a determined tug.

He smiled against my lips, slipping another finger underneath my panties and focussing his efforts. His touches were slow and a hell of a lot gentler than our first time, but nevertheless very… _goal oriented._ I was panting and keening in no time, teetering on the edge and over it before three minutes had past.

"_Wow_, you must be amazing at the piano!" I exclaimed, before I thought to stop myself. Embarrassed, I slapped a hand up over my mouth.

Godric chuckled, pushing me down on my back and removing my panties effortlessly before he climbed up on the counter in one, smooth movement, dragging me further in. "If you truly wish to compare, I shall play for you some time." And with that he slipped two fingers inside of me, easily making my hips buck again. I briefly wondered if he had my body memorised from last time before any thought other than _'yes!', ''more!', 'please!' _and _"Godric!'_ was banished from my mind all together. His lips hardly left mine the entire time. Apparently, vampires multitask quite well.

"You know," I gasped, when he finally pulled his fingers from me, leaving my legs shaking. "If you would give me a moment I could do some of those things to _you."_

"Another time, my love." His voice was hoarse with desire, making me shiver expectantly. He leaned in further over me, nudging my thighs further apart as he settled his hips between them. "Right now I need to be _in_ you." And then he entered me, slowly but deliberately, making my toes curl up as I strained against the gorgeous pressure.

His fangs broke free with a moan that I shared when he was finally fully sheathed in my core, the coolness of him doing nothing to dampen the hot pulsing I could feel vibrating through every part of me from where we were connected.

He leaned his forehead against mine, bracing his weight on his forearms over me and then started a slow, steady, full rhythm that made me cling to him with arms and legs, gasping from the emotional intensity as much as the physical pleasure.

Godric was a phenomenal lover – there was no two ways about it – and I had been very keenly aware of that ever since we practically tore down my old house fucking, but this was different. I had never made love before, because the only time I had been in love with my partner had been a big lie and there had been nowhere near the emotional connection between us as the one burning between the vampire and me at this moment. Sure, I had described previous sex acts as lovemaking, but nothing, _nothing _compared to this. I wasn't even aware of my whispered confessions of love and devotion, or the tears, before I heard him murmur them back to me while he kissed the salty drops off my face.

It was way too intense to be called gentle sex, his body claiming me deeply, but the slow pace let me build and release without being forced as he kept his hands on the granite beneath us, until he was nearing the end himself. His hips picked up speed some, changing the angle, which made me jerk and groan, the need building much more rapidly this time.

When his hand finally travelled in between us, squeezing a breast through the fabric of the T-shirt on the way down, his forehead was no longer resting on mine, and I noticed the look of pure ecstasy on his face before my eyes rolled back while I screamed my release out, clutching to his head that was now buried against my neck.

After, we just laid there, holding on to each other. He was still licking my neck, but slowly and lazily, a soft purr vibrating through him so quietly that I could only feel it from where his chest pressed against mine, rather than hear it.

"Didn't even feel you penetrate the skin this time," I sighed happily. "Though I still don't understand how it can be so… _pleasurable_ to get bitten."

Godric looked up, a smile on his sculptured lips sporting a few drops of my blood. "It is all about timing, my love."

I laughed at his cheekiness, enjoying the happiness in his now completely light, mercury eyes. "I'm sure it is."

"Would you like me to heal them?" His gaze slid towards the marks.

Hm. I didn't really mind either way, but knowing that there was so much prejudice against 'fangbangers' and that I would be job-hunting, I nodded. "Yes, please." Huh, I was actually a fangbanger now.

The vampire quickly pierced his finger, retracting his fangs while rubbing the blood over the small puncture wounds before easily lifting off me, sliding out and getting back on the floor.

I sat up a lot less gracefully, getting a quick reminder to wash down the kitchen counter when scooting down the granite and onto the floor. Eck.

"Is there any food you would like here?" He asked as I picked up my discarded panties, sliding them back on before I went hunting through the cupboards for cleaning supplies.

"Probably," I shrugged, grabbing a bottle of multi-surface cleaner and some kitchen roll. "But I'll just order a pizza, I can't really be arsed cooking tonight."

"Make a list of what you wish to have purchased and my Day Helper will get it." He cocked his head as I started spraying and then wiping the table down. "What are you doing?"

I shot him a pointed look. "Cleaning _us_ off the place that is used to prepare food."

His confused expression made me remember that vampires had quite a different view on bodily fluids and food than most humans.

I shook my head at him. "Just… would you look up a pizza place that delivers to here, please? You can just use my netbook."

Obediently, he leaned on the counter, fingers dancing on the touch pad.

I got an appreciative eyeful of the curve of his perfect arse before he turned to me, eyebrows furrowed. "What is this?" He gestured to the tab with the job opening I'd been looking at.

"Oh, just a job I'm applying for. I thought about giving Dennis a call too and apologising for leaving the way I did, see if maybe he's got an opening. And this… " I walked over, stroking a hand up his naked back before shifting to the tab with the flat that looked like the best option. "This is the flat I was gonna call on, before you distracted me. See, it's even got a small balcony."

A _snarl_ resonated through Godric, making me squeak in surprise.

He snapped around, grabbing my wrists in his fists, staring at me with black eyes. "You. Are. Not. _Leaving._"

Holy shit, I'd given that vampire some abandonment issues! I exhaled slowly to calm my racing heart. "No, I am not, but I do need somewhere to live – and, you know, money. Calm down, love."

He did calm down. That was worse.

"You live here. You will want for nothing – I will provide everything you need, everything you want."

His tone was pure steel instead of a snarl and he released my wrists, but his dark gaze commanded mine to not look away.

"Don't be silly, I can't just lounge around like some kept woman. I need to work – social security and pension and stuff. And, you know, personal freedom. I don't like to be dependent on you," I tried to reason.

Nostrils pulling up ever so slightly he stared at me, leaving absolutely no doubt that he would be fighting me to the end on this one. "If it is future security you wish for, I shall set up a trust fund for you. It will be more than generous, though you shall not need it. If it is boredom you fear, I will provide you tutors in any subject you wish, but you _will not leave_ _my house_."

I stared at him, flabbergasted. "You can't be serious!"

"I warned you," was his unnerving reply. "You are _mine_ and I am not letting you out of my sight."

Sookie's comment about vampires being very possessive suddenly came to mind. Looked like she'd nailed _that_ observation.

"You are behaving like a lunatic," I said, folding my arms over my breast, barely avoiding adding a snarky _'again'_.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "And you are behaving like a petulant child. This is not up for discussion, I made that _very_ clear last night."

Did he really just..? _Son of a…!_

"I am not a child!" I hissed through gritted teeth. "I merely want my freedom."

Godric straightened, in all his naked glory, eyes darkening further. "I did not hunt you, when you left. I did not force you to return to me. I have given you freedom; you made a choice. Are you telling me that you are regretting that?"

I blinked, taken aback. "Of course I don't regret coming back, don't be silly! I just…" And then I remembered that frightened, lost look in his eyes when he'd come running after waking alone in the afternoon. My heart sank. Yeah, Id' brought this on myself.

"You're right." I grasped his hand in mine. "I'm sorry, I didn't think it through."

His free hand came up to my face, stroking, cupping, stroking again. It felt a little bit like having a cat rub their mark on you. I turned my face and kissed his palm. "You OK?"

"Yes." His hand kept stroking over my skin and hair, the other one holding mine firmly. I leaned in to peck his lips apologetically.

And that's when I found out that Godric didn't live alone in the mansion. This knowledge was brought about when a human man walked into the kitchen, politely greeting us both before putting groceries away and leaving again, seemingly not too shocked with finding a buck naked vampire in the room. A few questions later and I was now aware that three vampires lived with Godric, and that Isabel had her human companion Hugo – who'd walked in on us – over very frequently.

So that solved the puzzle of the milk and cereal. It also brought me back to the bedroom very swiftly, to put on actual clothes.

* * *

I ate my pizza in the kitchen, not feeling comfortable with bringing it into the pristine living room, though Godric told me to feel at home – as I _was_ at home – partly because it just didn't seem, well _homely_ enough to lounge around and eat pizza in, and partly because Godric's nest-mates were roaming about, making me all kinds of uncomfortable.

So I sat on one of the barstools, swinging a foot and enjoying the cheesy goodness that was my Hawaiian pizza while Godric was in his office doing some form of 'business', after I had told him to go away and stop staring at me while I ate. Nothing as off-putting as having a person who doesn't eat look at you like you're some sort of science experiment while you're trying to enjoy a dairy-carb bomb in peace.

I had just finished the last slice that I could actually fit into my stomach without being ill when a weird sort of pull on my mind and body made me get up and head for the hall. It wasn't a forcible pull, merely like some part of me really _desired_ to be out there. I curiously followed, only to stop abruptly at the sight of Eric scrambling through the entrance door, hunched over and sick-looking.

"Sweet Goddess, what the hell!" I yelped, just as Isabel _swooshed_ to the hall.

"Northman," she greeted, apprehension on her face.

"Godric's calling me," was all he said, and she nodded and disappeared, not offering any help to the clearly not-well vampire.

"You look like shit," I commented, trailing after him as he headed in the direction of Godric's office. My body still hummed happily at the sight of him, though. Damn blood-bond.

The blonde vampire grimaced. "Are you following me so you can enjoy the show, breather?"

My eyebrows rose up. "What show? Will you start juggling or what?"

A spontaneous snort erupted from him. "Doubt it. But we'll see – he's always been very creative."

We made it to the office door, and Eric pretty much just burst in and fell to his knees on the floor in front of the dark-haired vampire. Instantly, he looked better.

"Master," He greeted. "You have called me – I am here."

Godric got to his feet, his face impassive. "You forced your blood on my mate. Explain."

Wait, what? He'd magically summoned the Viking because of the whole blood incident? From the look of Eric's face it hadn't been a pleasant experience. Huh! I smirked. Served the jerk right.

The absolutely pained expression in Eric's blue eyes startled me. "Fader, broder, son," he muttered. "Jag kunde inte förlora dig." _(Father, brother, son. I could not lose you.)_

"I am no child in need of a saviour, Eric. You will pay for your disrespect." His voice was eerily calm.

The Viking bowed his head. "I submit to your punishment willingly."

Godric walked over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You may not want to watch this, little mate."

I was way too curious, and excited to see Eric get a scolding, to want to leave, so I shook my head. "After what he did to me I think I want to see this."

"It is your right." He ghosted a kiss over my lips before pressing a button on the wall next to me.

Doors slid open behind his desk, revealing a… well, I'd only ever seen anything remotely similar in my first dream of Eric; it looked like a dungeon, with hooks hanging from the ceiling, chains of varying thicknesses laid on a table top along with instruments I didn't recognise towards one end and it had a drain in the middle of the floor, directly underneath the hooks in the centre. Apart from that it was covered in what I assumed was silver on all surfaces, save the concrete floor.

"Holy hell!" I gasped, sliding in behind the two vampires. Who the fuck had a vampire-proof dungeon in their office? Oh, my boyfriend, that's who! I stared at everything in the room with big eyes, feeling very young and naïve.

"Undress," was Godric's first, dispassionate command.

I blinked, not quite understanding the need for the blonde to get rid of his clothes, but when Godric himself eased out of his loose linen shirt, a couple of very, _very_ inappropriate ideas came to mind, and I blushed furiously. _Surely not?!_

Thankfully, Godric stopped at the shirt, adding a thick pair of gloves, but Eric stripped all the way down, and I did my very best to _not_ look down, despite my blood's excited reaction. _Damn bond!_ But good Goddess…

And then the arsehole sent me a knowing _smirk_, and I remembered that he was able to sense my emotions.

"_Do not look at her!"_ A loud _thwack _made me jolt, and I stared open-mouthed at the angry, red welt across Eric's chest where his Maker had lashed him with a thick silver chain. O-ooh… This was not gonna be a scolding, was it. I gulped, reconsidering leaving the room, but something kept me by the wall, eyes glued. Something not very intelligent.

Godric easily wrapped the chain around Eric's wrists, floating up (yeah, never imagined flying being useful in situations like this, but there ya go) to attach the chain to the hook over our heads, pulling Eric off the floor by a few inches.

He groaned as the silver dug into his skin, burning his flesh, but hung passively, blue eyes on his Maker.

The dark-haired vampire grabbed one of the thinner chains off the table, swinging it slowly a couple of times as he stalked around his progeny. "Never, ever, forget what I will teach you tonight," he growled in a tone that sent shivers down my spine – and not of the pleasant kind.

And then the chain lashed against Eric's taut muscles, drawing blood, ripping off skin. The Viking hissed in pain, his fangs clicking out.

- And that's when I decided to leave. Not looking back as the air cracked with the force of the whips I scurried out the door and down the hall, heart throbbing. What the actual fuck did I just witness?!

Gentle, kind Godric – the man who'd declared that the best part about his immortal life was the man he was brutally beating at this very moment. I didn't understand, I couldn't _understand!_

Sure, I'd wanted Eric to pay for forcing his blood in me, but not like this… I was even against the death penalty for murderers and rapists, for pity's sake! I was left-wing, I had humanitarian beliefs and ethics, and someone being brutalised as punishment was _not_ in agreement with that.

Oh my Goddess, was I dating a monster?!

I sank to the floor in a hallway I didn't recognise, put my head between my knees and breathed deeply. Slowly, my panic subsided – some. No, Godric was not a monster. I'd _seen_ him, and he was that beautiful, golden fire that made my heart ache with need. But he was also a vampire, as he'd told me on many occasions, and this was a part of their world; violence.

Memorising every caress, every loving word he'd whispered during our lovemaking earlier that day I wandered the hallways, unable to find enough rest to sit down anywhere for what seemed like hours, before a soft, pained moan pulled me back to the cold, harsh reality.

Someone was suffering, and I was letting it happen. Goddess, _I_ was the monster! I was not a vampire, and I'd just left the room! I had no excuse.

I hurried towards the sound, entering Godric's office and making my way to the dungeon-room.

The sight of Eric, naked and covered in blood and welts, fangs out and face contorted in pain, turning his head from where Godric was beating him made me throw myself in there, pushing my body in between Eric and the whirling chain, arms out. "That's enough!"

Godric pulled the chain back millimetres before it snagged across my face, a hiss of shock leaving his lips at the near-contact.

I stared at him, anger and fear mixing equally in my head. He was splashed in blood – Eric's blood – and from the red around his lips and extended fangs I could only assume that he'd drunk from his progeny too. A bloody silver knife on the floor made my stomach roil. "I said, that is enough! You have made your point, and this has gone on long enough. Stop."

He dropped the chain. "As you wish, my light."

I pulled back to the door as he released the chain holding Eric off the floor, the tall vampire landing with a _thud_ on his knees_, _rolling to his side.

"Du borde inte ha låtit henne sett detta, Fader," Eric muttered from the floor, cradling what looked like a broken elbow. _(You should not have let her see this, Father.)_

Godric sent him a hard stare. "I do not command her." He kneeled down, grabbing the thin silver chain he had used as a weapon and wrapping it around Eric's wrists. "Do not sleep, Son. Do not move. I will come for you when I awake, and we will talk."

He got to his feet, motioning to me to leave. I did so, stiff with emotions I couldn't even name, walking down the hallways by my blood smeared lover's side.

When we entered his bedroom he walked straight to the bathroom, and I sat down on the bed as I heard the shower get turned on.

I could deal with this. We would talk, and I would calm down.

When Godric returned, naked and with wet hair – and without blood smears - I was still sat on the edge of the bed, back stiff, staring at my suitcase.

He sighed and sank down in a crouch in front of me, lightly grasping my hands. "Eric was right; you should not have watched that."

"How _could_ you?!" I blurted. "You love him!"

His thumbs stroked over mine. "I took no pleasure from that, little one. But not only did he violate you, he also broke one of our laws. If I had not punished him severely I would have appeared weak, and that would have been an invitation for others to attack you; others, who _would_ hurt you."

I felt my stupid lip quivering and bit it, hard. This was not the time to start bawling. "And what if _I_ break one of your laws one day? Will you then beat me as to not appear weak?"

The vampire's lip pulled up in a silent snarl, his eyes darkening, but he kept his temper in check. "No, my love, _never._ I would rather die."

It was such a simple statement, but it held every ounce of conviction that he could communicate to me. He grasped my hands tighter. "Eric knew what his actions would bring, and he chose accordingly. "

"_Why?!"_ I hated vampires and their stupid, weird rules.

His eyes softened. "Because he loves me. He was afraid that I would give myself to the Sun without you – he could feel the change in my emotions through our bond."

My mouth fell open. "You _wouldn't!?_ I made sure…"

"No, Sophie. I would not. But he did not know of our talk, he only had the echo of my emotions to base his decision on." He bent his head and kissed my hands, turned them and kissed my palms.

I had had enough of an emotional overload for the night, especially after the previous one; I just didn't have any more in me. "I need you," I whispered, leaning my head against his. "I can't think anymore right now, I need to not think."

Godric nuzzled his head against mine lightly and then sent me a small smile, his hands letting go of mine and stroking up my arms. "Then let us not think anymore tonight, little mate."

And I didn't.

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_This will be the last update for a little while, but don't worry – I'm (probably) not dead, just moving. Updates will resume when I'm unpacked and have internet sorted._

_**Til mine svenske læsere**__: Undskyld, hvis jeg slagtede jeres sprog. Jeg kan læse det, men bliver nødt til at bruge google translate når jeg skriver. Förlåt!_

_(To my Swedish readers: I'm sorry if I butchered your language. I can read it, but have to use google translate when I write it. Sorry!)_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**17**

I was actually planning on trying to erase the night's events from my memory as best I could, but when I opened the fridge hunting for some breakfast the selection of TruBlood made me think of Eric, who probably needed to feed before he could heal properly, and that consequently made me think of the amount of pain he was in, laying bound in silver all day. And my heart is a big, soft clump of stupid, so without even thinking about it I grabbed two bottles of the synthetic blood, heated it up in the microwave (it really couldn't be healthy for them with all these microwave meals) and stalked towards Godric's office, a bottle in each hand.

I'm unsure why I wasn't prepared for the sight of the bloody vampire laying curled up on the floor, wrists quietly sizzling. I felt my heart thump uneasily as the memories of Godric's viciousness came back.

"By the Gods, do you _ever_ stop _feeling_?!" a pained – and annoyed – groan came from the floor, blue eyes opening. "It's exhausting."

Shuddering, I stared at the blood leaking from his nostrils and ears. Did he have internal bleedings? Could vampires even get that? I pulled myself together, kneeled down next to his head, placed the bottles down carefully on the concrete floor and grabbed the end of the silver chain. "If you'd given me the chance I totally would have given you a heads up on the whole 'emotional rollercoaster' thing before you forced this blood-bond on me. You know, so you could have made an informed decision," I snarked at the blonde. "You can look forward to PMS – it should be a hoot."

He made a grimace, either from that thought, or from pain as the silver was pulled off his skin, and then hissed as a clump of his flesh came off.

"Oh man, this is so gross," I choked, willing myself not to throw up as I continued until he was completely free.

"You know, I think Godric intended for that chain to remain where he placed it," He said, grabbing one of the bottles off the floor, downing it in two swigs. His skin started the freaky vamp-speed healing process, leaving smears of dried blood and pink welts behind.

One of my eyebrows lifted. "Well, you're welcome. Would you like me to put it back on..?"

He mirrored my quirked eyebrow, and then grabbed the second bottle of TruBlood, sipping it. The pink welts on his skin started to disappear.

"Godric said you knew what the punishment would be for forcing your blood in me," I blurted out. "Is that true?"

He shot me a condescending look. "Afraid your mate might be lying to you, little breather?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I just find it very hard to believe that even you would be stupid enough to willingly sign up for that arse kicking." I paused. "He also said that you thought he might kill himself – and that's why you tracked me down like you did." My eyes scanned his face for a reaction.

In normal vampire fashion it became an expressionless mask, but I could decipher anger and hurt in the icy gaze – Eric was not as good at the vampire pokerface as his Maker. "Godric sure does like to talk to you, doesn't he."

"Well… yeah. He isn't keeping me around for my cooking."

Eric snorted humourlessly.

"He wouldn't have, you know," I offered. "He told me so himself."

My efforts earned me the most contemptuous stare yet. "You know nothing."

I bristled at that; I knew Godric better than I knew anyone. Not that that said a lot, but still.

"I know he has a kind and beautiful soul, and I know that he will seek to make good on the evil he's done before he dies."

The Viking muttered something in a language I didn't understand, but I was fairly sure it wasn't anything nice. "You would do well to remember that he's an ancient vampire, not some tame pet."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I was getting really annoyed with the tall vampire; Godric and I were having a hard enough time adjusting to this vampire/human relationship on our own, and Eric was not exactly helping. Oh Goddess, was I step-mothering a spiteful vampire here?

"It means, little breather, that you should be awed that he offers you his blood, his protection, his attention. He is so far above you that your tiny, human brain can't even fathom it, and what do you do? Deny him at every turn – _run away_ – and then think you have _any_ understanding of his motivations."

"Clearly, I understand him better than you do." I glared at the arrogant vampire in front of me. "As I wasn't the one getting a spanking for misbehaving."

Eric snorted, finishing off the bottle of TruBlood. He eyed me carefully as he put it down on the floor. "Why did you do it? Stop him?"

My brows furrowed. "I thought you could sense my emotions?"

"Doesn't mean I understand them. Human emotions have never interested me."

I smirked. "You might come across as less of a jerk if you put in the effort, you know."

He mirrored my smirk. "Now, why would I go and do that?"

I suppose being a grade A arse had worked out quite well for Eric Northman, so his motivation for actually changing would have to be nil. Oh, if everyone could just be a sociopath.

"I don't like to see anyone in pain, especially not when I knew you did what you did because you care so much about him," I sighed. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd happily slap you silly for it, but this whole dungeon-thing is a bit extreme."

"How… human," he noted, not exactly sounding like that was meant as any sort of praise.

"Well, I _am _human…" I took in his dirty form and got up from the floor, feeling like my humanitarian act of the day had been done. "If you want a shower I'm sure you can just use one of the guest rooms'."

Eric cocked an eyebrow at me. "You really, _really_ don't get this vampire-business, do you? Godric said not to move, which does not imply 'go get a nice shower'."

Shrugging I headed to the door. "Well, I'm getting breakfast, so…" I didn't really bother finishing that sentence, as 'so sucks to be you' wasn't exactly the courteous thing to say to a naked vampire that was still caked in his own blood.

However, after breakfast and a little time spent on the internet googling 'vampire + human relationships' (which apart from providing some advice on starting to take iron supplements and vitamin B to avoid getting anaemic was a rather useless exercise, seeing as all the hits were on kinky sex tips) I grabbed a glass bowl filled with lukewarm water and a couple of tea towels and headed back to the office-slash-dungeon.

Eric was still sat up, long legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed and weight leaned back on his arms. He shot me a bored glance. "Couldn't stay away then?"

"I'm _really_ bored," I offered, kneeling down next to him and placing the bowl on the floor before unfolding one of the tea towels and placing it over his crotch without looking. Truth be told, I wasn't quite sure why the thought of him sitting on the concrete floor, covered in dried blood, had bothered me enough to decide on this, but I blamed the blood-bond.

He sent the bowl a long glance, and then looked at me with a smirk. "You're giving me a sponge bath?"

My face heated up significantly, but I pursed my lips and dipped the towel not covering his privates in the bowl. "There're no sponges involved – and don't you be getting any ideas. You just stink is all." He smelled quite nice, actually. The heady scent of his blood was definitely connecting to our bond as a part of me wanted to just lick it off him, and the underlying aroma of _Eric_ – salty and fresh like the sea – was pleasant. But I wasn't about to tell him that.

His smirk stayed in place, but he didn't object or comment further as the wet cloth started wiping over his skin. I made sure not to be gentle about it. It took me a long time and several re-fillings of the water to get most of the blood off him.

"I'd do it again," he suddenly said.

I gave him a questioning glance before re-focussing on the cloth rubbing over his shoulder. "Do what?"

"Give you my blood. He… needs you."

My eyebrows shot up as I lowered the cloth at his… dare I say vulnerable tone? Probably not out loud, but he did seem uncomfortably exposed – not counting his state of undress, which he appeared rather OK with.

"I need him too," I admitted quietly.

Eric frowned at me, then sighed. "I know; being bonded to you two is one big, angsty love feast – it's disgusting. But if it is what he needs, then I will do what it takes to ensure that you stay with him."

"I knew that you loved him," I teased, trying to take the edge off the awkwardness. "Submitting yourself to gooey romance to ensure his happiness."

"He is my Maker. One day you will understand what that means."

I blinked - several times - at that. Godric and I hadn't actually talked about my mortality much, apart from agreeing that one day I would grow old and die. The implication of Eric's statement sent my mind reeling.

"I, er… I don't think I will, Eric," I said carefully.

The Viking just looked at me unblinkingly. "We shall see," was his only, ominous comment.

I decided that changing the subject was a good idea right about then. "Why is there fresh blood leaking from your ears and nostrils? Have you not healed some internal bleeding?"

"It's the bleeds," he explained calmly. "When we don't sleep during the day we bleed like this."

_Ew. _For such gorgeous creatures they sure did have a lot of gross functions - all involving blood in some way. I made an attempt at wiping off the blood by his left ear, but more trickled out immediately.

"It is good to see you two getting along."

I gasped in surprise at the unexpected, smooth voice from behind me, and turned half around, still kneeling on the concrete floor. I lit up at the sight of the short, dark-haired vampire standing in the doorway.

Godric smiled softly at me, and then looked to his Son, raising his eyebrows slightly. "You seem surprisingly healthy, my Child."

"Your human tended to me, Father." Eric's voice was carefully neutral. "I did not compel her to do so."

"She has a kind heart; something you saw last night too."

Eric remained silent, gaze locked in his Maker's.

I rolled my eyes, getting up from the floor. "If you two are going to have another vampire-moment I'll just be going." I was rapidly tiring of vampire moments.

Godric's eyes slid from Eric's to mine, and suddenly I was enveloped in his arms for a brief hug. "I will be with you shortly, little one."

Something in his voice made me head back to the bedroom, which turned out to be a good choice seeing as I didn't particularly fancy being walked in on by any of his nest mates while having an, er, intimate moment. As it turned out, Godric was a vampire with a zest for morning sex, if the past two days were anything to judge by.

A few hours later I laid splayed on the bed, sweaty and with wild hair and an involuntary smile caused by several orgasms and the loving way Godric was currently looking at me, gently stroking a cool hand down my stomach.

"So, since Eric is on his way back to Louisiana, do you want to do something just you and me tonight?" I asked, hopefully.

He looked at me pensively for a moment. "We could go to the opera? And a meal first?"

I blinked. "The… opera?"

"As I recall this is a frequent component for a, ah, date, and I do believe I owe you one of those."

He looked so pleased with himself that I didn't have the heart to tell him that I'd never even considered going to an opera performance.

"Uh, maybe another time? I was hoping we could literally just be you and me, doing something down to earth and, well, _normal_." I was thinking maybe watching the TV or going for a walk, but that didn't happen.

A downright sinful grin spread across his sculptured lips, and his hand dipped down to my curls. "I am sure we could think of something."

I never did get out of bed again that night.

* * *

It didn't take me long to get bored out of my skull. Not by the near-constant shagging, of course, but by the utter lack of anything to do when Godric was either sleeping or had to attend to the sheriff duties that he was woefully neglecting in order to be with me; he only handled the most pressing matters while I was still awake, but that was still a few hours every night that I was left to my own devices.

And it bothered me. A lot. I'd never been one to succumb to boredom before, having either gotten lost in art, or the spiritual world, or watched some mindless TV programme, but the whole arrangement with me living at Godric's was just not very stimulating. I didn't like spending time in the public areas out of fear of either running into his nest mates (Stan scared the living daylights out of me, to be quite frank, and Aleric and Isabel were just close enough to strangers that I couldn't relax when I knew they'd be able to walk in at any moment) or of messing up the pristine furniture with my, well, mess.

So I spent my days in the kitchen and my afternoons and nights in Godric's bedroom, and after a week I'd had it. I emailed my sister to let her know that I was back on the grid and asked how she was doing, and then I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from my purse and wrote a note to Godric, telling him that I'd gone out and would be back early evening at some point – and put it on my pillow so he'd spot it when he woke up. And then I grabbed my purse and headed out the front door.

The sight of Ryan strolling up and down the driveway - an earpiece and a gun in place - surprised me, but I waved enthusiastically and skipped down the driveway to him to say hi. Apart from Hugo and the cleaning lady (who seemed quite unwilling to chat), he was the only other human I'd seen all week.

"Hey you!" I chirped happily. "What are you doing here?"

The massive mountain of a man smiled when he spotted me. "Good afternoon, little lady! I'm patrolling the estate, at Mr Godric's request."

Huh. "Why?"

He looked slightly uncomfortable. "To make sure no one gets in or out during the day time."

… Hang on. "Gets _out_?"

He shot me a quick glance, and then his shoulders slumped slightly. "Yes well, Mr Godric requested that I ensure you stay on the premises."

'_You will not leave me house'._ It seemed he'd been quite literal about that.

My eyes narrowed to slits. "Oh, did he now? So _Mr Godric_ told you to keep me prisoner? "

Ryan had the decency to get slightly tinged cheeks. "I'm sure that's not the intent…"

"I don't care what the intent is – I am going in to town for a few hours, and don't even _think_ about putting your hands on me." The last bit was added when he made to stop me from stomping out to the curb and my car by placing a hand on my shoulder. I was pleased to note that he swiftly pulled it back against his side.

"Please, Miss Sophie, it's for your own safety," he tried as I brushed past him. "The Fellowship has been so active lately and…"

I spun around, hands on hips, and glared at him. "I swear, if you try to stop me I'll call the police and tell them I'm being kept hostage by some crazy vampires. Stop worrying about me, I'm perfectly capable of going to town without getting into trouble. I'll stay in populated areas, and I left a note for Godric so he knows where I am. Besides, have you met Eric – the tall, blonde jerk?"

By the small shudder of his shoulders I could tell that he had.

"Well, I'm blood-bound to him – lucky me – so I won't be running off anytime soon. Just… patrol the estate and I'll see you tonight, yeah?"

He pinched his lips firmly together, but I knew I had him. "Fine," he eventually sighed. "But take my number, just in case you get into trouble while the sun is still up."

Rolling my eyes I did as he asked, and then finally got into my car and drove off, feeling rather grumpy with Godric's over-possessive tendencies, though I did understand why he was so freaked out; if he'd upped and left me I'd want to cling on to him too. But trying to keep me locked up 24/7 was just over the top, even for a vampire with separation anxiety.

Thirty five minutes later I pulled up at the parking lot near my old work place, feeling both a bit anxious about seeing the people I'd abandoned, as well as excited. Hopefully, they wouldn't hate me too much.

The doorbell jingled merrily as I entered, and I saw River look up from behind the desk. Her brown eyes widened, and she turned pale as a – well, as a vampire – before she shouted: "Dennis!"

My former boss popped out from the back room. "Yes?"

That was my clue to speak. "Hi guys."

"Oh, _Sophie!"_ River came darting from behind the counter and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, goodness, I thought you were dead!"

I blinked in surprise. "What, why? I called and said that I had to leave town."

Dennis rubbed the back of his neck, patting my back a little awkwardly. "You sounded so panicked on the phone that day and, well… Skye's been missing ever since Winter Solstice, and we thought that you… that you were both in trouble with the vampires. We filed a missing person's report on you both, but you know how the police are with fang… with people, who spend time with vampires."

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. "Skye's missing?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_Moving sucks. It may be a while before updates become regular again – sorry!_

**Ratings warning:**

_Sex happens. Again._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**18**

"Yes, we haven't heard anything from her. The police went by her flat and didn't find anything amiss – it's like she just vanished from the face of the Earth." River's eyes searched my face, worry evident. "But when they went by your house, they said it looked like there'd been a struggle and they found evidence of…"

A hefty blush spread across my face and down my chest when I realised what she meant. "Er, no, I wasn't raped. And there was no struggle." Not of the violent attack-kind, at least. "I just really needed to leave for a few months. I'm sorry I scared you both, I should have given a bit more of a heads up. But what about Skye? Did anyone talk to her boyfriend?" Had anyone talked to Godric? He hadn't mentioned anything about being questioned by the police.

Dennis' eyes darkened. "He's not that easy to find for humans. We had no idea where about he lives, or hangs out, and the police wasn't that willing to track him down to question him."

This was too horrible. Poor Skye – gone without a trace, and no one was even looking for her. "Do you have any inkling at all as to what may have happened? Anything at all?"

The two exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

"What?"

"We think that it might have something to do with that night we all went dancing. With Tom and that Godric fellow you hung out with," Dennis offered quietly, obviously trying not to offend me. "She hardly came to work after that, and was so withdrawn."

That was true – she _had _been unusually quiet after that event, but I'd been too wrapped up in my upcoming family reunion to really take much notice. I was such a shit friend.

River looked at me with pleading eyes. "Do you think that that Godric might know anything? Do you still… have his number?"

My brows furrowed. "I'm sure he doesn't know that she's missing, but maybe he can at least locate Tom. I'll ask him when he wakes tonight." I glanced at the brunette. "I sorta live with him at the moment."

She looked surprised and a little alarmed. "Wasn't he… I mean, I just assumed that he was why you… left?"

Well, obviously that would have been her assumption if she thought I'd been raped in my own house, seeing as he'd been my only guy-friend to come around.

"Well, not… really." I eyed Dennis uncomfortably; some things you just didn't want to discuss in front of guys. "So we'll see what he says tonight, and hopefully we can figure something out."

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking – Dennis closed the shop and made us a herbal tea (not from the magical line, as far as I noticed) – and I told them a little of what I'd been doing in Kentucky, including the witch coven, which made River all excited, while they told me about life in Dallas for the past few months. As far as I could suss out they weren't dating or anything after that little incident before Christmas, but the sudden disappearance of both Skye and I seemed to have erased any awkwardness between them.

And two hours before sunset my phone went off, and I might have imagined it, but even the ringing sounded agitated. Godric was up.

With a reluctant sigh I answered it, fully prepared for a scolding.

"_Where are you?"_ were his first words.

"At my old work, talking to River and Dennis. I'll be home soon."

"_Come. Home. _Now_."_

I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes, but I couldn't really get into it with him, with Dennis and River sat right next to me, listening in – if they thought I was in a relationship with a controlling vampire they'd probably stage an intervention or have the Fellowship of the Sun abduct me.

"Yeah, I'll be on my way in a sec. But I'm bringing some friends home… they need your help with something. And so do I. The sheriff-sort of help." I kept my tone light, ensuring that he knew I wasn't engaging with his temper.

Stunned silence for a few moments.

"My help?" he finally managed. I could tell his teeth were clenched. Poor Godric – he was so not in the sheriff mood right now.

"You remember Skye? Who dated that vampire Tom? She's been missing since Christmas, and the police won't help because, well, because she was with a vampire."

Another moment of silence, and then he exhaled into the phone. "Fine. But you and I will talk when they have left."

Oh, we most definitely would. My eyes narrowed at the thought of him trying to keep me in his house by essentially having a prison guard patrolling the grounds. "Yes. We will. See you soon."

"Very soon." He hung up, and I took a second to control my own temper before putting the phone down and forcing a smile on my face. "He'll help. Come with me back to his house so you can tell him all the details."

Dennis glanced out the window. "Er… it's… still light?" He looked rather confused, and I suppose I couldn't exactly blame him, seeing the shock it gave me when he'd suddenly appeared in the kitchen the week before, UV-broken sunlight playing off his tattoos.

"He's pretty old, so he wakes early," I offered, getting up. "But of course, he can't go outside before the sun sets, so if you'll come back with me we can talk him through all the details and see what he can do."

* * *

Neither River nor Dennis were particularly thrilled at the prospect of setting foot inside a vampire nest, but the sheer size of Godric's mansion seemed to completely stun them.

"He _owns_ this place?" River whispered to me as I waved at Ryan, leading the two up to the front door. "And you _live_ here?"

I sighed. "Well yes, but he shares it with three others. And I'm just here as a temporary solution." You know, if you consider '_you will never leave my house'_ as a temporary solution. I certainly did.

When we got to the front door I realised that I'd never gotten a key, but Ryan trotted up to us and let us in without a word. The irony of it being easier to get into the vampire sheriff's nest than out made me snort quietly to myself.

I led my two human friends to the living room, where Godric was sat perched in a white chair by the unlit fireplace. His face was blank, and I wasn't sure if it was because of his anger towards me or he simply had his sheriff 'hat' on. (His metaphorical hat; the only one wearing a cowboy hat in the nest was Stan, who took the style all the way, including matching boots.)

Deciding to ignore the tension between us I stepped over, bent down and pecked him on the cheek as a greeting. "Love, you remember River and Dennis, right?"

"I do." His attention focussed on them. "Sophie tells me you require the assistance of the vampire sheriff. Please, speak."

I grimaced discretely, wishing he'd be slightly less frightening and _vampire sheriff_, because the two other humans in the room looked rather intimidated – and silent.

"Skye's gone missing after Winter Solstice. River and Dennis think it might have something to do with the night we all went to that vampire bar, because she seemed very frazzled and different after," I summarised. "And we think it might have something to do with Tom – her vampire friend – but we have no idea where he is or how to get in touch with him."

Godric's dark-grey eyes flickered up to my face. "And what do you wish that I do? Find him? Question him?"

"That would be lovely," River whispered. "If… if it's possible. Sir."

'Sir'. This was a far cry from how she'd acted around him that first night they met at the bar. I almost snickered, but then remembered how Skye had been pining over him as well, and how that'd inspired her to go pick up a vampire from a bar. A vampire that might be behind her disappearance.

Godric nodded once. "Very well. I cannot promise to find your friend, but I will do what I can. Sophie will be in touch when I have any news."

And that was that. There was a strong air of finality about the ancient vampire, one that made Dennis grab River by the arm and pull her towards the exit, giving a hasty goodbye to Godric and I.

I trailed after them into the hallway. "He'll figure out what's happened to her," I promised. "If anyone can do it, it's him."

River shot a quick glance over my shoulder, hand on the door handle, to ensure that Godric hadn't followed, then looked at me with concern. "Sophie, honey, maybe you should come with us? You could stay with me for a while. Living with a vampire can't be…" she trailed off.

Sighing, I shook my head. "Thanks, River, that's a really kind offer, but I'm fine, really."

"He seemed rather intimidating," Dennis broke in, glancing toward the hallway. "Are you sure you don't want to come? Are you safe here?"

Heat broke in my stomach, and I felt a silly smile spread across my face. "Yeah, I'm safe. He's… he's very kind to me. I'm sorry if he was a bit intimidating tonight – he gets like that when he's acting as the local authority."

"I was meant to ask that," River whispered. "What does he mean that he's the sheriff?"

"It means he's the local boss of all vampires in Dallas," I explained, glancing at the setting sun. "So he should be the best one to help us locate Tom. But you two should probably get going now – his nest mates will be up at sunset, and I'd rather you didn't meet Stan; he's a real arsehole."

That seemed to be all the encouragement they needed to leave, tires screeching when they pulled out of the driveway. Sissies.

Sighing, I closed the door and turned around to go hunting for my vampire.

He was still sat in the living room with his face schooled into that same, expressionless mask.

"So, I take it you're pissy?" My voice was only slightly snarky as I sat down on the sofa next to his chair.

"You _left._" His eyes were still a dark grey as he glared at me, hands clenching on the armrests.

"No, Godric, I went to town to see my friends. And then I came back."

He was suddenly on his feet, and his face was no longer expressionless – anger was etched into every feature. "Will I have to _chain_ you during the daytime?! I made myself perfectly clear; you are not to leave my house!"

I gritted my teeth to try and stay calm – yelling would get me nowhere, however much I wanted to lay into him. "Listen, Godric, this is not going to work."

The anger drained in an instance, pale pain setting in instead. "What?" It was a whisper.

"You can't keep me locked up all day. I'm a human – I need to get out! Into the sun, socialise a bit with other humans." I grabbed his hand gently, feeling an ache in my heart from his pained expression. "I love you, and keeping me in the house will not change that – or make me more or less likely to run away. If I had the urge it wouldn't matter, would it? Eric would just come hunt me down anyway."

The anger returned, but there was still pain left in his eyes - not a great combination, in my opinion. "You are not Eric's; you are mine. I do not wish to have to wait for my Child if you are hurt or in danger, and should you run you are mine to bring back!" He had not raised his voice, and it was still silky smooth, but a core of steel made his feelings on the subject quite clear.

Wait, was this some sort of male ego thing? My eyes narrowed. "I am not a thing, Godric. I am not a possession for you to hoard away and guard!"

"You are my everything," he hissed, dark eyes like slits. "And I cannot lose you again."

Something in me snapped – and I'm pretty sure it was the ability to keep a clear head. "You will, if you don't stop this!" I got to my feet, glaring into his eyes. "You will _make_ me run away like this. Which part of '_I need to get outside_' do you not comprehend?!"

And that was the moment a mountain range knocked me down flat on the sofa, wrists pinned. Black eyes stared into mine. "What I do not _comprehend_ Sophie, is your need to provoke me so."

A shiver went up my spine at the dark velvet that was his voice, and if I have to be honest, the fact that this powerful creature had me pinned underneath him was not an entirely unpleasant experience. I quietly scolded my body for its stray thoughts and refocused on the argument at hand. "I _am_ sorry that me having my own opinion provokes you, you ancient idiot!"

A growl resonated through his chest. "_Be_ c_areful."_

"Or what? You'll bite me?! Is this what you want then? You make commands and I obey like a mindless doll?" I was snarling right back at this point, my own fury of being treated like an item rapidly coiling in the pit of my stomach.

Godric blinked, releasing my wrists and leaning back on his haunches. "How can you even say that?" he whispered, hurt evident in his face and tone.

Oh, _great_. It was really hard to have an argument this way.

"I can say that, because that is what it feels like when you set a _guard_ to make sure I don't go anywhere, and tell me that I am _yours_ and therefore can't leave your side." I sighed. "I _need _to be able to come and go as I please, Godric. And while we're on the subject, then I hate living here with your nest mates. I'll do it, if it's what you need to feel safe, but I absolutely refuse to stay here all the time like some slave."

His eyes narrowed again at the word slave –which, granted, was probably not that wisely chosen of me, seeing as he had been an actual slave as a human - but he kept his temper in check this time. "Sophie, I want you to be happy here. But I can't… I can't risk losing you. And if you go outside, without me, and someone takes you… then I won't be able to save you. I _need_ to know that I can come to you, find you."

And then it dawned on me.

"Godric?"

"Yes?"

"When a vampire claims a human, is a blood-bond _always_ formed between them?"

He looked mildly puzzled that I would even ask that. "Yes, of course. "

Of course, because otherwise the vampire would go slightly psycho-possessive and try to lock up the human, it would seem.

So now the question was if I would mind being bonded to Godric. And as it turned out, I wouldn't mind it one bit, now that we were… well, dating was probably not quite the right word, but I couldn't really wrap my mind around the whole 'mated' concept that he seemed to take for granted. I actually rather liked the idea of being that close to him.

"Okay then."

Godric's dark eyebrows rose questioningly at me.

"Let's do that blood-bond."

His face stilled.

"…What?"

The vampire leaned down over me again, caging me in between his arms and chest. His eyes – still dark from the argument – bored into mine. "Do not say that if you do not mean it, little one."

I shrugged awkwardly from my position on the couch. "We are together now – my heart and my soul are yours, and the blood connection would only strengthen that. Besides, if I do freak out again I'd much rather you come find me than Eric." I offered him a small smile as I said the last bit.

His hand came up to cup my cheek and he lowered his head so that his lips were millimetres from mine. "Would you want me to come find you? If you ran?" The whisper brushed over my mouth, causing the blood underneath the thin skin to tingle in anticipation.

"Yes." My own voice had become quite low and hoarse from the sudden change in emotions between us.

Cool lips crashed against mine, causing a throaty moan to escape me and my arms to wind around his neck possessively, pulling him closer yet. I needed him – I needed all of him. I bit his lip, drawing blood, and I moaned in pleasure of its wild, wonderful taste, but before I could latch on properly the now growling vampire had me pinned again, his mouth opening against my throat.

I bared it expectantly – he hadn't drawn my blood since the first time we had sex after I got back, and the sensation of sustaining his life with my own was wildly intoxicating – at least when done with sexual undertones; I was fairly sure the pleasure of it all would diminish some if it was an act of violence rather than sensuality.

Fangs snapped out and scraped against my skin, but instead of biting me he placed cool, hungry kisses down the column of my neck until he reached the base of it, where my pulse drummed heavily against his lips.

And then a hand trailed up the inside of my thigh, and I had a vague thought of needing to wear mores skirts instead of pants as Godric made quick work of my zipper – it definitely broke under his administrations – and the button went flying before I obediently lifted up my hips so he could yank them and my panties down my thighs enough for his hand to get access to my centre.

Godric grunted in approval when he found me moist with anticipation, his fingers stroking over the bundle of nerves until I began bucking and straining against my jeans. With a smirk he moved to the end of the couch, pulling my jeans off smoothly so my legs could separate before his head disappeared between my eager thighs.

It was a fairly swift exercise, my hands grasping desperately at his short hair as he made me climax within minutes. During the past week I'd come to realise that two thousand years of experience (and super speed) had given the vampire the necessary skills to time my releases as he wished, and this time he clearly wanted speed. I'd hardly gotten down from my orgasm before he lifted me up into a sitting position, an arm supporting my back while the other went up to his neck. He trailed his nail across the skin there, drawing a red line after it.

"Drink," was his hoarse command.

My lips latched on without a second thought, and I hummed happily at the sweet, wild flavour filling my mouth. I sucked eagerly, and Godric groaned in response, clutching me closer.

He let me drink until the wound closed up before he without further warning pushed me back down, flipped me over onto my belly, undid his own pants and entered me with a quick thrust of his hips.

I whimpered at the roughness, lifting up to ease his movements as he grabbed my waist.

And then red fire exploded in my brain.

"Harder, Godric…! Dear Goddess, _harder!_" I felt like I would die if he didn't fuck me deeper, harder, faster. _More. _The need in my body burned through my veins, short-circuiting any other thoughts, my only requirement short of breathing being _him._

Thankfully, the vampire seemed to understand the urgency, his hips moving against me more rapidly than any human could have managed, and when his fangs finally penetrated the skin where my shoulder and neck joined, my body convulsed in climax.

I had a few moments of bliss while he lapped at my neck to close up the small puncture wounds before the burning started at the apex of my sex and quickly shot through my entire body again. Whimpering, I bucked beneath him, and was rewarded with a deep chuckle in my left ear and then that glorious friction that was my entire world. And for the next many hours, that was all I could focus on, along with the numerous releases. I was vaguely aware that we changed position a few times, and location – after the couch broke underneath us (it seemed to be our thing, breaking sofas) - but it wasn't before I woke up in Godric's bed that I realised he'd moved us to his bedroom.

"How long have I been out?" I mumbled groggily, twisting around in stone arms to Godric's beautiful face sporting a relaxed smile.

"Twenty minutes or so." He pecked my swollen lips gently, and I purred happily, deepening the kiss. There was still a bit of fire in my blood, and I hooked a leg over his hip and pressed against him. Realising that my body was fully capable of continuing, I looked at him with astonishment. "I'm not the least bit sore!"

His smile turned to a smirk. "The benefits of vampire blood. I promise you; you would have been very sore without it."

The fire started burning deeper at that. Returning his smirk I shifted my weight and sat up so I was straddling him. His eyebrows rose teasingly at me, but I didn't really care, and when I rocked against him he grabbed me by the hips and lifted me just enough to enter.

* * *

"Godric?"

"Hmm?"

I smiled at the sleepy tone – it was just at the crack of dawn and his conscience was slipping away.

"This means that you won't freak out when I go out during the day, yeah?"

He hummed a confirmation, the arm around my waist constricting slightly in a half-hug.

I nuzzled my nose against his chest. "And you don't mind that I move out and get a job?"

One mercury eye cracked open. "We can talk about that later, little one."

"I really hate living with your underlings," I sighed. "And I want my own place, one that isn't decorated like some futuristic designer's showroom."

Godric rolled over onto his side, trapping me in his arms before his eyes closed again. "I am sure we can come to a mutually satisfying agreement once the worst need from our blood-bond has left your system."

* * *

As it turned out, it would be a while before the bond relaxed enough for me to not want to cling to his side (or cock) 24/7, which was all rather pathetic as I spent most of the day in bed, staring at his passed-out form. And the dreams… the dreams featured both him and Eric – courtesy of the double blood-bond – and I won't go into specifics, but I'm pretty sure most of the things featured in those dreams were not even physically possible. If Eric had actually been in Dallas I think I would have spontaneously combusted from shame, knowing that he'd be able to sense what my raunchy subconscious had been up to.

The evening after Godric and I formed our blood-bond – and after he'd shagged me so thoroughly that I could actually think of something else – he made a few phone calls while I scavenged for food in the fridge and made myself a platter (cheese being the main component, because cheese).

I was attractively squirrel-cheeked when Godric strolled into the kitchen and sent me his usual, curious glance. For some reason, the sight of me eating fascinated him to no end. I glared in return, not loving being studied like a science experiment.

"Thomas Mallerick will be here shortly, little one," he said, unaffected, as he sauntered over and pecked my forehead, an arm slipping around my hips. "I would recommend that you go to the bedroom while I talk to him. He will still catch your scent in the house, but if you are not present during the conversation he will have no reason to assume that you are directly involved."

One of my eyebrows quirked up. "I am going to be there – I want to see his face if he tries to lie about hurting Skye."

The dark-haired vampire sighed softly. "I thought that might be your take on it. If I did not know better I would think that you enjoy making me work to protect you."

"It's not my fault you surround yourself with thugs," I mumbled, returning to the cheese. "Notice how it's only supernaturals you have to protect me from."

"And the Fellowship of the Sun," he pointed out.

"Agree to disagree on who protected who from them. In all fairness, Eric saved the both of us there."

Our banter was interrupted by the appearance of Aleric, who looked slightly grossed out over the food-smell in the kitchen.

"Sheriff, your appointment is here," he stated, and without looking at me continued: "Also, the sofa in the living room has been replaced with the same model, and the rug sent to dry-cleaning."

My cheeks turned beet-red as I remembered what had happened to the rug in front of the fireplace, but Godric simply nodded calmly and grabbed my cheese-free hand in his. "Good. Please, lead him to the office, and meet us there with Isabel."

The tall, slender vampire nodded deeply and disappeared out the door again.

"Are you ready, my light?" Godric turned to me, his long, slender fingers tangling with mine.

"Uhhu. " I left the plate for later and got off the bar-stool to follow him. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the talk tonight, but I sincerely hoped that Tom would have some knowledge of where we could find Skye.

When we entered the office Tom was kneeling in front of the empty chair I recognised as Godric's 'office chair' – the one he'd been in when Isabel led me into his office last week and he'd been dealing with two other underlings – and Isabel and Aleric were stood immobile on each side of it.

I could _feel_ Godric change persona by my side, the impassive mask slipping into place and his power gathering around him, encompassing me protectively. I'm ashamed to say that it made me visibly shudder with pleasure; damn blood-bond. He sat down smoothly in the chair, easily pulling me down on his lap like some house cat, but I was too eager to learn news of Skye to be bothered.

"Thomas Mallerick. I thank you for answering my summoning."

Tom's long, wavy hair swayed as he bowed his head deeply. "Naturally, sheriff. I am at your disposal." He looked up, eyes grazing over me, and I saw them narrow slightly before he carefully kept them on Godric. "I hope I have not displeased you?" There was an unspoken – and nervous – 'again' hanging in the air, and I briefly wondered how Godric had punished him the last time; he didn't exactly seem at ease around the ancient sheriff.

"I merely wish to ask you a few questions concerning your human, Skye." Godric sounded almost bored behind me, and even though I knew it was how he had to act when he was doing 'vampire business' it bothered me; a girl's life could very well be at stake here.

"Oh." Tom looked mildly surprised. "I shall answer to the best of my abilities, sheriff."

"Do you know where she is at this moment in time?"

Tom didn't look the least bit bothered when he answered: "She is dead."

My heart stopped for a moment, and my breath left me with a wheeze. The gathered vampires completely ignored me.

Godric seemed to take it all rather calmly, too. "I see. And how did this occur?"

"A feeding accident. I was distracted while drinking from her and didn't stop in time before she was beyond saving."

"When did she die?"

"Around the winter solstice."

The fact that absolutely everyone was so freaking calm while discussing the death of the sweet, naïve girl who'd danced around the shop on bare feet because she was always so full of happiness made something in the pit of my stomach coil tightly and heat flow through my body and limbs. I was faintly aware of a throbbing in my temples, but the sensation was lost in my rapidly rising rage.

Godric stroked a –probably meant to be calming – hand over my belly, as he must have been able to feel me through our bond. "It is very unfortunate, Thomas; my mate was fond of her."

The vampire kneeling in front of us made a half-shrug that was an attempt at seeming like he cared. It didn't really work. "It is. But I covered all tracks – even if her body is found her death will not be able to be tied to the vampire community."

"Then as long as that holds true I cannot fault you for an accident involving your claimed human." Godric sounded like he would have liked to 'fault' him, but he remained composed and cool-toned. "But I do ask that you take care not to kill another human on my territory."

Tom's hair bounced like a shampoo-commercial when he nodded deeply again. "Naturally, sheriff." He gracefully got to his feet – and that seemed to be that. That was all that would be said about the murder of Skye. No repercussions, no justice. My brain short-circuited from that cold fact.

"_You murderer!"_ I jumped off Godric's lap, pointing a shaking finger at the vampire responsible for her death. "You think you can just kill an innocent girl and nothing comes of it, because she's _human?!"_

"Sophie…" Godric's hand came up to rest on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me, but just then, Tom snorted derisively and said: "That little slut was not innocent – just stupid. She would have died sooner or later, with that pea-sized brain she was logging around."

And just like that, the coil in my stomach snapped and heat crashed through my body and out my arms – and Tom was encased in that massive wave of fire that had shot from my fingertips.

His eyes stared at me in disbelief even as his face contorted in pain and he fell to the floor, screaming.

"_Witch!"_ a snarl sounded from somewhere behind me, and in a state of shock I twisted around to see fangs bared menacingly at me.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_Oh come on, just admit that you love the cliff hangers._

_Any mentions of sprouting pointy teeth and gross 'vampires & periods' can be fully blamed on __**ZizzyO**__, who inspired that part of this chapter._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**19**

It is a terrifying thing, being face to face with your own death; especially when your death comes with sharp fangs and unnatural speed.

Both Aleric and Isabel were crouched down, fangs exposed, but Aleric actually lunged for my petrified form, only to collide with Godric's solid body with a _thunk_.

The shorter, dark-haired vampire was in front of me faster than I could perceive, his stance protective as he crouched in front of me, arms spread, fangs extended and an unwavering snarl rolling off him.

"Sheriff, she's a witch!" Aleric gasped from the floor where the impact with Godric had thrown him. "We have to kill her _now_, before she sets fire to us all or _possesses_ us!"

"Attack my mate again and I will rip your head off!" There was nothing human about Godric's voice at that moment, and a ripple of fear even went through _me_ at the sound, which was rather impressive seeing as I was already in a state of complete shock over what I'd just done. I mean, _fire?!_ I hadn't even been able to summon a small spark when I'd actually _tried_ - for hours!

"She's enchanted you!" Faster than my eyes could follow Aleric was on his feet, _swooshing_ towards me, but he never reached his target as Godric lunged at the same time, landing on the other vampire's chest, knocking him down. His head was between the sheriff's hands and no longer attached to the body before they hit floor.

"Sheriff!" Isabel gasped, just as the door into the office got kicked open and Stan was with us, taking in the scene. "What the hell?!" he growled.

"Sheriff, the fire!" Isabel tried again, as Godric jumped up off Aleric – who was now just a bloody, gooey stain - and repositioned himself so he could keep an eye on both his underlings, his protective stance and snarl unwavering.

To my great surprise, Stan was the one to spring into action. He grabbed a decorative tapestry off the wall and threw it over the still-burning Tom, rapidly patting the screaming vampire until the flames were extinguished before he twisted from the kneeling position to stare at Godric as If he'd sprouted horns.

"Sheriff?"

"If any of you as much as a_ttempt _to touch her you will suffer the same fate as Aleric," was Godric's only reply, which really wasn't much of an explanation, if Stan's facial expression was anything to go by.

"Why did he..?" Stan glanced to Isabel, brows furrowed at her defensive crouch.

"She's a witch," she whispered.

The cowboy hat-wearing vampire's eyes shot to the still-sizzling Tom and then to me, shock – and then anger – showing. "_She_ did this?! Sheriff…"

A loud growl from Godric's throat shut him up – he clearly did not want to become a blood-smear on the marble floor.

"Isabel, get Thomas some blood so he can heal." My lover's voice was still animalistic, but as his underlings made no attempt of attacking me his authoritative persona slipped back into place as he took control over the situation. "Stan, clean Aleric's remains up and dispose of them – privately. I am sure that _everyone_ here is aware that this incident will be kept quiet? "He glanced to the goo that had been his nest-mate.

"Yes, sir," the vampires agreed, and then the two underlings s_wooshed_ out of the room to set to the tasks they'd been given.

And then Godric finally turned to me, and I blinked at the wary expression on his face. "Sophie, come with me."

I reached out to grab his hand, but he turned away before I could touch him, practically herding me past the crispy vampire on the floor and out the door. I wasn't aware of my entire body shaking before we entered his bedroom in complete silence.

"You told me you weren't a witch," he said as soon as the heavy door had closed behind us, dark eyes boring into mine.

"Well, I wasn't!" Without warning tears started overflowing and I sobbed loudly as the shock took over. "I don't know what happened! I was just so _angry_, and then there was this energy and suddenly he was _burning!_"

He watched me in silence for a while. "I can _feel_ your shock," he finally stated, face in that blank mask he used to hide his feelings. "But that amount of power doesn't just occur. You have not told me everything."

I gaped at him through tears (and snot). "What do you mean? I'm not hiding anything – I didn't mean to do that!" Why the hell was he being such a jerk, acting like I was some dangerous murderer – oh Goddess, I almost killed someone! My sobs became louder at that thought.

"Sophie!" His voice was like the crack of a whip, and it startled me enough to snap out of the worst shock. "I just had to kill one of my most trusted underlings in order to protect you – you _will_ tell me how you did this, and you will tell me _now._"

The command – and the tone, which he'd never taken with me before – made me remember how he'd reacted back when he noticed my spiritual books, and the realisation that Aleric had attacked me because he thought I was a threat to his sheriff made me – fully – realise how big of a deal witchcraft was to vampires. It also explained why Godric was staring at me with mistrust though he had just defended my life.

"I- I didn't think I could," I gasped. "I joined a coven in Kentucky and… I practiced with this witch and she said I was close, but I just never could get the grasp of it. Maybe… maybe it just… happened because I was angry?"

His blank face fell for one of shock, and something that sounded an awful lot like a swearword in a foreign language slipped past his full lips. "A _coven!_ You practiced _fire magic?!_" He took a deep, unnecessary breath to calm his voice. "Do you have _any_ idea how bad this is?"

I was beginning to get an idea, but he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose at my blank stare. "It is my duty as the sheriff of area 9 to kill any witches strong enough to wield magic that can harm vampires."

Well, shit.

"But, why? It's not like a meant to hurt anyone," I sniffled, wiping my face in my sleeve.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "That you have no control over your power does not make it any better. And as to why: Because the Authority does not wish a repeat of the Witch Wars that humans know as the Inquisition. Witches killed many of our kind then, as we did of theirs."

My mouth fell open. "You would kill someone just because they're a witch?"

"I would rather not. But I will, if I must, and a threat to my territory is one of the instances I must."

I shuddered. "So… what are we going to do now?"

Godric looked at me with his lips pinched to a narrow line. "Make sure no other vampire hears of this. If the Authority learns that I shield a witch – and killed one of our own for you – they will come for us both and I will not be able to protect you."

"But… you're so strong!" I hadn't realised until then that I'd come to see Godric as this unstoppable force, far more powerful than anything and anyone on the planet – he'd been my rock and protector through so much in the relatively short amount of time we'd known each other, and I still remembered the sight of him tossing the much-bigger vampire to the floor like a toy the night he publically claimed me.

"The Authority is stronger," he murmured, eyes seeking mine, and I was surprised at the scared look that flickered through them for the briefest of moments.

Unthinking, I hurled myself in his arms and clutched at his shirt in an attempt to comfort both him and myself; whatever could scare him was not something I wished to experience.

His arms came up to rest lightly around my hips, his posture stiff.

"You are angry with me," I whispered into his shirt- I could feel it in his body, even as he held me.

"Yes."

"I didn't mean to do this; I didn't even know it would be a problem that I practiced with the witches."

"But of course you could not have simply practiced healing spells," he muttered, hands griping my hips a little tighter. "Will you also tell me that you dabbled in necromancy?"

My nose wrinkled. "Of course not, don't be absurd. And I didn't practice 'fire magic' – I just expanded on the energy sensing, trying to visualise a fire ball. And it didn't work! I have no idea why it happened today."

He went completely still, and I lifted my head and looked questioningly at him.

"My blood. Vampire blood has been known to increase witches' powers."

"So… this is _your_ fault?" I couldn't help it – the situation was just too dire to stop myself from cracking an inappropriate joke.

If Godric's glare was anything to go by he didn't appreciate my efforts to lighten the mood.

"The witch you trained with - do you trust her?" he asked, voice still solemn.

My eyebrows knotted. "Margery? Yeah. Why?"

He grabbed my chin gently. "Because I cannot help you with this, and you need full control over whatever powers she and you have awoken in you so you don't risk exposing yourself again. Call her here, my light, now. I will make arrangements for you to move out of the nest while you do so."

I blinked. "Wait, I'm moving?"

"Too many vampires enter this place for me to risk the chance that you lose control in front of them. I will find you a temporary residence until I can purchase a home for us that does not function as a meeting place for my area."

A home for us. It was completely the wrong time to get all mushy, but I couldn't help the warm rush of happiness that coursed through me at that statement.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and I realised that it was because he could feel my sudden pleasure.

"You said 'a home for us'," I explained, blushing slightly at how much of a girl I was being.

"I do not understand. We have a home together here too?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

He might have been more than two millennia old, but he was still such a… guy.

I rolled my eyes at him. "No, this is your home that I live in too. A home for us would be… never mind." I wasn't about to explain that corny image of an old-style farmhouse with a swing on the front porch and white linen curtains in the kitchen windows that had suddenly popped into my mind; I had some pride, after all.

But Godric's eyes softened, and so did his body posture as he placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "We will talk more about it later, little one. For now, you need to call this Margery, and I will need to talk to my underlings."

Oh right, yeah, my life had turned to shit – again – in the past half hour, and I'd learnt that my friend was dead. Picking out curtains was not really on the priority list. I nodded and went to fish out my phone from my purse while he left the bedroom.

I punched in Margery's details, feeling rather guilty for trying to drag her into this. She didn't owe me anything, and I was about to ask her to up and leave her own life for a while to come sort out my mess, and it wasn't exactly a danger free experience I was offering either.

"_Yes?" _her voice sounded on the other end of the line after a few rings.

"Hey Marge, it's me – Sophie."

"_Oh, sweet Goddess, Sophie! How great to hear your voice!"_

Yeah, I bet it was a right blessing.

"How are you doing Margery?"

"_Oh, you know, same old. Miss you though, kiddo! What's up? Your old flame letting you come up for air so soon?" _The teasing tone was unmistakable.

"Yeah, something happened… I.. I managed to summon fire."

"_Oh Goodness!"_ an excited squeal sounded through the phone. _"I told you, you had it! That's wonderful, congratulations!"_

The image of Tom burning and screaming flickered for my inner eye. "It wasn't really that wonderful Marge, it was an accident and I… I almost killed someone. I set fire to him."

Stunned silence.

"I know I don't have any right to ask you hun, but I'm really freaking out and I don't know what to do. Is there any way you could come down here? I need help." I wasn't aware that I'd started bawling again before she made shushing sounds down the phone.

"_Shh sweets, of course I'll come. Don't worry, we'll work this out. I know of a coven in Dallas that'll be able to help too. I'll start driving tonight."_

A coven? In Dallas? Godric's words about being honour bound to kill dangerous witches came to mind. "Margery, there's something you need to know before you come," I managed, my voice thick. "My boyfriend… he's a vampire."

"_Holy Mother!"_ she gasped on the other end. _"Oh, Sophie, no."_

"And he just found out tonight that I … was in a coven in Kentucky, and… well, I don't know if you know about the tensions between witches and vampires, you probably do, but as you can imagine, he's not pleased. And he had to kill another vampire to save me after I… set fire to that guy."

"_Of course I know." _She sounded rather exasperated. _"Are you safe with your boyfriend? If he killed another vamp for you after finding out I assume he won't harm you, but you must understand that the hatred runs very deep._"

I'd sorta clocked on to that this evening.

"Yeah, I'm safe with him but… he's the vampire sheriff of Dallas and while I promise you he won't harm you as long as you don't threaten his area I don't think that he needs to know that there's a witch coven in Dallas that can help with fire magic. And… I would understand if this is too much for you to get involved in."

"_Fucking hell, Sophie! The bloody vampire sheriff?! What's wrong with you?!"_

I sighed, wiping away tears. "I'm just a walking catastrophe."

Margery sighed – deeply – too. _"Right, well I can't very well let you try to get out of this mess on your own. Give me your address and I'll be down there as fast as I can drive. And in the meantime you need to stay far, far away from vampires, you hear? It's a miracle your sheriff-boyfriend didn't turn on you."_

"Well, about that. I don't really know where I'll be living as he's moving me out of the nest. But call me when you get to Dallas and I will let you know, OK?"

"_At least he's smart,"_ she muttered. _"Just what the world needs – more smart vampires. I'll call you soon, sweets. Stay safe."_

After the phone call I went out of the room to look for Godric and let him know Margery would be coming down. I found him in the living room with Isabel and Stan – they stood in a semi-circle, all tense and serious, and I heard my name mentioned more than once before they noticed me and the conversation fell silent, three pairs of dark eyes staring at me.

I gulped, but then caught the look of betrayal in Isabel's eyes. Isabel, who'd been so kind to me.

"I'm really sorry," I whispered, then steadied my voice. "I had no idea I had that ability, and I need you to know that I never meant to cause trouble in your nest. And I get that you probably can't trust me now, because of the whole vampire-witch problem, but I swear that I will never harm your sheriff. I know Aleric died because he tried to protect Godric from… me." It was hard to say that; to acknowledge that I in any perceivable way could be a threat to the man I loved so much. But that was a fact now – if this Authority that I knew nothing of heard about what had happened tonight I could be the direct cause of Godric meeting his true death.

Stan's eyes narrowed, but Isabel nodded ever so slightly, caution still evident on her face.

"Sheriff," Stan turned to Godric. "We have sworn fealty to you and will do as you see fit." He eyed me. "Even if that does mean to protect the witch. But why don't you just turn her? End of problem – the Authority would acknowledge her as your mate and her crimes against vampires committed as a human would be nullified."

Godric's lips formed that narrow line I'd seen quite a bit this evening. "Sophie's humanity is not up for discussion; not now, not ever." His eyes locked with mine and I realised that this was one of the few things we agreed on: None of us wanted to see me as a vampire. It should have made me happy, but – of course – it didn't. I couldn't help but wonder why he didn't want me by his side for eternity.

I mean, I knew why I didn't want that – the whole cycle of nature sort of included growing old and dying to return to the earth and the universe, and I couldn't imagine not being a part of that. And I believed in reincarnation – I knew I'd find Godric again in the next life, and the next, until he was ready to join the astral plane with me. That was the way it was meant to be, and though it would be hard to grow old and die from him the thought that I'd be with him again held enough comfort that I didn't wish to give up my human life. Besides, the brutality of the vampire world was not exactly appealing.

"As you wish, sheriff," Stan quickly bowed – it seemed Aleric's untimely end was still in fresh recollection – and Godric nodded at his two underlings, motioning for them to leave the room.

"So why?" I blurted out when they'd left.

"Why what, little one?" He seemed like he had to pull his mind from miles away.

I sat down on the newly replaced couch. "Why wouldn't you want to make me a vampire? If it would make all this go away?"

His long eyelashes lowered as he sat down on the glass coffee table in front of me. "Would you wish to become a vampire?"

"No."

He looked up at me with an unreadable expression. "Then there is your answer."

"And if I wanted to become one?" I challenged.

He sighed, lowering his eyelids again. "Then I would beg you to change your mind. I do not wish to inflict this on you, my light. You are so pure, and this life is not for you. I love your humanity, I love the sound of your heartbeat, I love that you are so very much alive. And even though I have to lose you one day, the knowledge that I have been at your side through a long, happy, human life will make the centuries I have left without you worth it."

I eyed him suspiciously. This sounded an awful lot like his 'losing you is my punishment' spiel, just with a delayed end. "Well, I promise I won't die before I've managed to teach you to recognise souls. That way you will know me when you see my reincarnated form, and we will never truly be apart."

He looked up at me then, and the expression in his ancient eyes made my breath catch in my throat.

"If you promise me that, Sophie, then I truly believe that there is salvation for me." It was a hoarse whisper, red liquid threatening to spill from the corners of his eyes.

I was in his arms without even realising I had moved, my mouth desperate against his. "I promise," I gasped in between fevered kisses. "I promise, I promise!"

* * *

It was not long until dawn when Godric drove me to Ryan's house with my suitcase in the trunk of the silver Lexus.

I clung to his right hand when he wasn't changing gears, hating that we would have to spend time apart, even if he did promise to be by my side minutes after the sun had set. "I like this as little as you do," he had said after our lovemaking, his pale hand stroking through my long hair. "But it is the safest I can make you right now and so it will be done."

And so Godric helped me in the door to his day helper's small house, doing his own – and if Ryan's face was anything to judge by, insulting – check of the property's security before he gave me a lingering kiss, promising once again to be with me as soon as the sun allowed it, and then stepped outside to have a private word with the big man. But the living room window was open, and I heard them through it.

"You know your orders – keep her safe at all costs."

"Of course, sir." Ryan's voice was gruffer than normal, which could have something to do with the late time of the night. "I will protect her with my life."

"And Ryan…" I warning tone had snuck into the vampire's voice. "She is _mine._ Do not even think about touching her; I will know."

I blushed crimson. Seriously?! Not only were we inconveniencing the man by making him take in his boss's girlfriend in the middle of the night with little to no warning, but he was now also getting threatened to keep his hands off, like he was some sort of serial rapist? Just freaking great!

But Ryan took it stoically, his only answer being a "Yes, sir." And then I heard the slamming of a car door and the soft hum of the Lexus' engine as Godric drove off for the day.

The giant of a man tasked with keeping me safe came back in the door, muttering "damn fangers" under his breath before he glanced at me. "You ready for bed, little lady? The guest room is made up."

I smiled weakly at him. "Thank you. And… I'm sorry about this."

"Don't you worry about that," he huffed, herding me towards the guest room with a motion of his big hands "Being Mr Godric's day man has never been a 9-5 job."

Obediently, I made my way to the small room that was surprisingly neat for a spare room in a single man's house. "Has it frequently involved taking in strays in the middle of the night?" My tone was light, though my heart was heavy with the night's events.

He leaned against the doorframe, somehow making the structure look fragile enough to come down any minute. "No. In fact, you are the first person I've been set to guard, but as far as I can understand from the supe-community, you're the first girl the sheriff has claimed since… well, since anyone knows, so I suppose it makes sense." His kind eyes slid to my face, a note of concern evident in them. "Are you in serious trouble, girl? The boss seemed… unusually agitated."

"I don't know," I sighed. "I think, maybe yes. But hopefully it should blow over very soon."

He nodded and then sighed. "I warned you. These fangers come with danger for mortals and you are too damn kind hearted to be mixed up in all this."

I offered him a small smile. "I know you did, but… I can't really help that I love him."

Ryan grunted at that, which made me remember what he'd told me about his own love life.

"How's Betty doing these days?"

Another grunt – I took that to mean that they were on an off-period.

The exhaustion from the eventful night set in and I yawned thoroughly, which made my bodyguard demand that I go to sleep instantly. I obliged, feeling very sad and lonely without the cool embrace I had quickly gotten used to since being back in Dallas.

* * *

The next day was not a good day.

Apart from waking up in a bed without Godric after having dreamt of him and his lousy progeny doing oh-so-wonderful things to my wanton of a body, I still had last night's occurrences in fresh recollection, and – oh yes – I got my period. And it was a crampy one.

Pissed off and generally miserable I stomped to the bathroom to get a shower, got dressed and then made my way to Ryan's kitchen/dining room, where the large man was in the process of making coffee.

"Morning sunshine!" he smiled, cheerfully winking at my grumpy face. "These vamps keep you in bed till the afternoon, eh?"

I shot him _a look_ that made his smile wither, and I could have sworn that he discretely sniffed the air before clearing his throat, pouring a large mug of coffee and fishing some tablets out of a cabinet, and then he gave me both and exited the room.

I glanced down at the tablets; painkillers. This Betty-woman must have trained him well.

He kept out of my way for the rest of the morning (or early afternoon, really), until I told him that I needed to go to town and that my car was still at Godric's. Then he – without putting up a fight – offered to drive me in his black pickup, and I gratefully accepted. He really was a nice guy.

We small talked about gardening, I commented on the lovely spring flowers he had growing in front of his small house, and he offered to help me start up some flowerbeds when I moved into my new house.

I got all mushy again at that thought, my dream house now including beautiful flowerpots and late night strolls through a sweet-scented garden. It was really rather sad.

But when we entered the little spiritual store my good mood disappeared as I made my way to the back, while Dennis and River were busy serving a couple of customers.

"I always thought fangers hated witches," Ryan muttered as he cast a curious glance around the backroom. "Do you practice, or are you more of a new age hippie type?"

I grimaced at his shitty timing. "That's kind of undecided at the moment… and why I'm staying at yours."

He looked a little alarmed, but then scoffed. "Forget I asked – I don't want to know."

Sighing, I nodded. "Can't blame you."

At that moment River pushed through the back door, followed by Dennis. They both looked eager but worried.

"Any news?" my old boss asked, sitting down at the small table in the middle of the room.

River and I followed his example, but Ryan shook his head when I motioned for him to come over, leaning against the doorframe while occasionally glancing out the small window. Apparently, bodyguards don't sit down for tea.

"Yeah… and I'm afraid it isn't good. She's dead."

River gasped, a few tears starting to pool in her eyes.

"How?" Dennis enquired, pouring us some herbal tea, his hands shaking a little as he did so.

I looked down at my hands. "Tom killed her – he said it was a 'feeding accident'."

"Can we go to the police? Surely, if we have proof that…?"

I shook my head. "The police won't find any proof. But… he has been dealt with. He won't hurt anyone again, I'm pretty sure." I had asked what had happened to Tom, after he'd had blood and healed from my fire-accident, but Godric had told me that he was 'taken care of' and that I should not concern myself with him again. I took it as Tom had met an unhappy end, which I was pretty OK with – even though I was happy that I wasn't the one who'd killed him.

Pretty shitty of me, really. I knew Godric struggled with the many murders he'd committed in his life, but I suppose Thomas Mallerick couldn't exactly be classed as an innocent, and at this stage of my connection with the supernatural world I was just thankful my vampire lover took care of the uglier sides it brought into my life. Just call me a hypocrite.

We spent the afternoon talking about Skye, reminiscing and celebrating her sweet spirit and crying over her untimely death. It felt good and right, especially in contrast to the cold talk the vampires had had about the same subject the night before, and I left the shop feeling just a little bit better than I had when I got up.

Ryan and I made it back shortly before sunset, and less than ten minutes after the sun had set – and while I was in the bathroom - it knocked on the door.

I heard Ryan open and greet the person as 'sir' so I hurried up and got finished, bouncing into the living room with a happy smile.

Godric, who'd stood just inside the door talking quietly with his day helper, snapped his head in my direction, eyes blackening before a deep _growl_ emanated from him.

"What the hell?!" I gaped, stopping in the entrance from the hallway as my lover suddenly sprouted pointy teeth that he bared at Ryan, who quickly stepped back a few feet.

"Woah, sir, I haven't touched her." To my great surprise there was amusement rather than fear on the big man's face.

"For fuck's sake, Godric!" I snapped, placing my hands on my hips and getting ready to lecture him on proper manners. "You can't just start growling like that, we're in _his_ house, and he has – of c_ourse_ – been a perfect gentleman! Put those fangs away."

The vampire stopped growling, but his teeth stayed down while he made his way over to me, keeping a warning glare on Ryan as his hands came up to my shoulders and he started pushing me back through the hallway.

"So I'll just be out for the night then, see ya later little lady!" Ryan's chuckle sounded as he reached for the door handle and disappeared out into the darkness.

"Now look what you've done." I batted at Godric's hands – to no avail – as he kept backing me towards the guest room. "You've chased him out of his own home; what the hell is wrong with you… stop that!"

I pressed my hands against his chest, which seemed to catch his attention somewhat. He stopped pushing me for a bit, his head disappearing against my neck as he inhaled deeply, a happy purr emitting from his throat instead of the growl.

And then it dawned on me.

"Oh good Goddess, r_eally?!_ This again? Don't you have some self-control?" I flushed hotly, yanking at his hair to lift his head from my collarbone. "I don't know what you've thought was gonna happen, but I'm fairly sure you're gonna get disappointed, mister. If you're hungry there's TruBlood in the fridge!"

"I do not want TruBlood, little mate," he hummed, grabbing me by the hips and lifting me up so he could carry me the rest of the way to the guestroom and place me down on the bed.

"I am not a snack bar," I hissed, grabbing on to my pants as he started trailing his hands up my thighs. "And _that_ is just _gross!_ I'm not doing it!"

Godric crawled fully up on the bed, hovering over me as he started dotting kisses along my jawline. "There is nothing gross about your blood, little one. It tastes like sunlight and sex." His voice was all kinds of husky and needy.

I swatted at his head. "Forget it! And what was up with growling at poor Ryan like that?! Just because _you_ are a goddamn animal doesn't mean you can go around bullying good people like that. One day he'll get tired of your attitude, you know."

"Werewolves find the scent of a woman's cycle enthralling too," he hummed against my neck, completely unaffected by my scolding. "I cannot help to warn off other males sniffing around you."

"He wasn't _sniffing_ _around_ me, and… wait, Ryan's a werewolf?!" I pulled my head away, staring at him in disbelief.

Godric took the opportunity to capture my lips with his. "Mmhm."

"You're having me live with a _werewolf?!"_ I growled against his mouth.

"Ryan's completely trustworthy. Now shh, little one, this can be very pleasurable, I promise…" His hands started descending to my waistband.

"I said _no!"_

I kept saying no for a couple of hours. I suppose that's some sort of small victory, too.

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Any bets on if they manage to keep her witchy powers a secret from the Authority?_


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_300 reviews! Thank you all so much – it's so encouraging to read your feedback! Seeing what everyone thought of the latest chapter is pretty much half the reason I spend most of my free time writing these days! (Yeah, it's sad, but what can you do.)_

* * *

xXx

* * *

**20**

When Margery made it down to Dallas I was still living with Ryan, and Godric seemed way too distracted to be doing any sort of house hunting – or anything else, to be honest. As soon as he stepped foot in Ryan's house it was as if all thoughts of our possibly very near deaths were obliterated from his mind as bloodlust took over. Emphasis on lust. I didn't really complain – much – after the first night, resigning myself to the grosser parts of dating a vampire (it was pretty hard to ignore the obvious benefits this particular, gross part brought) and waiting it out.

But as I gave Margery directions to Ryan's house over the phone I realised that I hadn't mentioned to my host that I would be receiving a visitor. After hanging up I went hunting for the big man and found him kneeling in his garden with a small spade in his massive hand.

"Ryan?" I called, plopping down on the porch steps.

"Yes, little lady?"

"You know this whole… issue I'm having? Er… I sort of need help and my old friend from Kentucky agreed to come down and help me and... I just realised that I haven't asked you if…"

He chuckled. "Mr Godric already informed me that this arrangement would include another female. Don't worry Sophie, he's paying me _very_ well to ensure that you get what you need, for as long as it's needed."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad; I know it must be rather frustrating to have someone crash your house like this." Especially when he had to hightail it every night if he didn't wish to hear his boss and his houseguest partake in rather unsanitary activities in his guestroom.

He shrugged offhandedly and I took that as yes, it was rather inconvenient, but he didn't mind too much. Ryan was quickly becoming one of my favourite humans… or werewolves, I suppose, but the competition there wasn't fierce enough to make it as outstanding a feat as I thought it was.

Margery made it to Ryan's house a little after midday, arriving in a flurry of henna-red hair and skirts, her hazel eyes darting over the house and yard – and Ryan – as she rushed up to the front porch and pulled me into a hug.

"Oh, thank the Goddess you're here," I whispered into her smooth hair, feeling like I finally wasn't precariously balancing on the edge of total destruction without any form of lifeline anymore; my safety net had just arrived.

"Of course I am here." She pulled back, looking at me with furrowed brows. "Have you taken his blood?"

There was no need to ask who she meant.

"Yes. He said that might have sparked the power? Does that mean I won't be able to do this when it's faded again?" I looked hopefully at her, but her morose expression made that hope wither and die.

"No, the power you used was your own – his blood may just have ignited it, and there is no going back after that. But if you've had his blood he will be able to track you – and that means we have to be out of where we need to go before sunset, so we don't have much time."

I blinked in confusion as she grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards her car. "What, why? Where are we going?"

She gave me an exasperated look. "Because we are going to that coven I told you about, and they would not like it if we led a vampire to their midst. I've already had to agree to blindfold you, just in case you should turn out to be a spy for the vampires."

Just as my mouth fell open over the precautions she felt necessary to put in place Ryan materialised in front of the passenger side door, a big hand placed on the doorframe. "I'm terribly sorry ma'am, but I can't let you drive anywhere with Sophie. If you need to go somewhere I'll be happy to take you," he stated calmly.

Margery looked up at the giant of a man, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "And would you happen to be connected to the vampire in any way?"

"I'm his day man – and I'm tasked with guarding his human."

My redheaded friend snorted. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Sorry, but I don't need you leading him straight to their sacred place as soon as the sun is down."

Ryan's lips tightened ever so slightly. "She is going nowhere without me."

Sensing that this would escalate I quickly stepped in between them. "Guys, calm down – there's gotta be a way to bring Ryan without him being a threat to them."

* * *

The werewolf seemed quite a bit more agitated over being blindfolded than I did, but he sat unmoving in the backseat next to me, quietly muttering to himself whenever Margery hit a pothole, through the entire journey.

It had to be at least forty-five minutes later when the redhead finally pulled over. "Alright you two, keep the blindfolds on but get out – someone's here to lead us inside."

We both did as she asked, Ryan unhappily growling under his breath and me stumbling uncoordinated and having to lean on the car to keep my balance.

"Who's the bloke?" a male voice asked from a few yards away.

"Her bodyguard of sorts," Margery correctly identified. "He's not a threat."

I wasn't quite sure about that. I mean sure, I couldn't imagine Ryan attacking anyone unprovoked, but he was definitely capable of being a threat, should the need arise – hence him being my 'bodyguard of sorts'.

"Well, neither are we, so what is he doing here?" the male voice enquired, suspicion clearly noticeable.

Margery exhaled loudly. "Look, her vampire is… is quite powerful and there was no way he'd let her go anywhere without protection. Trust me, this is the easiest way." I was thankful that Margery stopped herself from mentioning who my boyfriend was – the less people who knew the details the less chance of anyone telling on us to this Authority.

A feminine intake of breath sounded in the general direction of Margery and the talking male, making me realise that there was at least one other present.

"The easiest way would to let that little fangbanger sort her own mess out!" the new addition to the conversation said angrily.

Ryan growled at her insult, which was very nice of him, but I had to admit that the woman had a point – these people owed me nothing.

"You would let a sister face not only powers she has no way of controlling but also the cruel punishment of vampires?" Margery's voice was ice-cold. "This is not the type of witches I had expected to find in such a renowned coven."

"Of course not," the man mumbled. "We just don't understand why she is _still_ his."

"He is doing his best to protect me," I interrupted, somewhat tired of being talked about like I wasn't there. "I know this mustn't be ideal, and I am very sorry to just arrive like this, but I don't know what else to do. I don't want to accidently go around setting fire to people I get angry with."

The female sighed. "We'd rather the vampire didn't know anything of your dealings with us, but I guess that's out of the question." I could practically s_ense_ her glare at poor Ryan at that.

"Actually…" I turned in the direction I had heard Ryan growl. "Ryan, I would really, _really_ appreciate if you didn't tell him anything about this. He doesn't have to know that anyone but Margery is helping me."

I could hear the werewolf exhale a long and suffering sigh. "Do you have any idea what you're asking? He'll skin me if he finds out I've held anything hidden from him concerning you."

"He will do no such thing," I promised. "And I think it would be for the best for everyone if no one mentions that there is a strong witch coven practicing in the area."

The big man groaned again, muttering something about witches and vampires that it was probably good none of us could decipher. "Fine, _fine!_ But that means we are safely back home the s_econd_ the sun sets!"

* * *

The witches pulled Ryan's and my blindfolds off after leading us inside a building that seemed like a small warehouse done up to get a bit of a witchy feel.

Around us stood a group of about a dozen men and women eyeing us curiously.

"Hey, don't I know you?" a short brunette exclaimed.

"Uhh..?" she didn't seem particularly familiar to me.

"Oh yes, didn't you work in Fifth Element on third street?" a guy jumped in, smiling excitedly.

Oh, but of course. I smiled (a little less enthusiastically) at the two. "Yeah, I did. I should probably have realised that I'd meet some customers tonight, eh?"

General giggles all around. Seemed like they were more alright with vaguely familiar fangbangers rather than total strangers.

"So, what happened?" A guy, whose voice I recognised from the parking lot, looked expectantly at me. "Margery has given us the highlights, but it would be nice to hear the details from you."

I quickly explained how Margery and I had trained the fireball visualisation without success for a long time, and how – after having ingested vampire blood and being brought to absolute rage – I had accidently almost killed someone by engulfing them in a wave of flames.

"_Awesome!"_ the small brunette who'd first recognised me yelled.

I couldn't hold back the stunned expression from my face as I gaped at her.

"Oh, sorry, I mean… that's just _so much _power! I can only do this." She scrunched up her forehead, and a small flame flickered above her opened palm.

Funny how different perspectives gave different perceptions on the awesomeness scale…

"I would prefer to have some sort of control," I politely noted, glancing around to see if others seemed overly enthusiastic about the prospect of barbequing people. Thankfully, it looked like the majority had a more solemn take on accidently lighting fire to bystanders.

"Well, that is what we can hopefully help you with," the woman who'd called me a fangbanger in the parking lot stated, eyeing me with her arms crossed over her chest.

And that is what they did. Or, tried to. The session started with me trying to demonstrate my powers (a couple of people stood at the ready with fire extinguishers), but it quickly turned rather embarrassing as I had no idea how to ignite and therefore just stood there, staring at the bale of hay they'd dragged in for me to blitz.

"Er, I don't know _how_ to… do it on purpose," I finally admitted. "I don't think I can without getting really angry."

Someone chuckled softly behind me.

"Oh, you can – the trick is to locate that energy and channel it," the woman who seemed to be in charge of the coven explained. "Remember what your body felt like when you got angry, where the energy rose from."

I closed my eyes and did as she said, and to my surprise I could feel the tingling of energy start spreading up my body as soon as I'd located it somewhere around my tailbone.

"Quick, form a circle," I heard someone instruct as the sensation got stronger and stronger along my spine, only to suddenly shoot out my arms. I opened my eyes just in time to see to waves of golden energy blast out of my hands and hit the hay bale so it shot backwards and smacked into the far side of the warehouse.

Wow.

_Wow._

"What the _hell_ was that?!" I gasped, shaking my arms frantically as a (rather unpleasant) tingling sensation set in.

"That was me forgetting to instruct you to visualise fire," the dry voice of the head-witch sounded from behind me. "Resulting in pure energy being unloaded instead. Very impressive."

I braved a glance at Ryan, who'd turned oddly pale, and then at the rest of the group. With an inner sigh I realised that he and I were the only ones freaked the fuck out about this – everyone else seemed unreasonably ecstatic.

"Exactly how much vampire blood did you drink?" the little brunette with a somewhat skewed reality perception asked excitedly, and I got a grim feeling that the Dallas vampires were slightly less safe than they had been up until now.

"Quite a bit," I mumbled evasively.

"Oh, _that_ was not just a result of the amount, but of the quality. Your vampire boyfriend must be ancient," the leader mused, and then looked firmly around her coven. "And before any of you get any ideas, this is not something you will achieve from doing a bit of V, so don't even think about becoming drug addicts. This quality blood will never be available on the market – the really old bastards are too crafty to get drained. Besides, the actual power still came from Sophie herself – remember that the energy is always drawn from within you, she's just got a boost in accessing vast amounts of it thanks to the blood."

Good to hear. I shook my arms one last time, relenting to the fact that they would be buzzing for a while.

"Okay, miss witch." She nodded at me as two of the male witches went to get the now rather frayed-looking bale of hay. "Let's try this again, but this time visualise fire. And instead of just letting it run rampant up your body you need to control it. We will form a circle again and ensure that you don't let too much power out."

* * *

When we arrived home at Ryan's house half an hour before sunset I was exhausted beyond belief, and the buzzing in my arms seemed to have settled permanently into my hands and spine as well.

Margery was chatting excitedly about the skill of the Dallas coven and how powerful I could become if I started working with spells and incantations and more traditional witchy stuff, completely ignoring that both Ryan and I were not engaging in the conversation.

She made us all tea while I sprawled out on the couch to rest, and the werewolf skulked outside muttering something about cleaving wood. I managed to fall asleep to the rhythmic _ka-thunk_ of his axe against the chopping block through the open window and Marge's somehow soothing chattering.

The sound of someone gently calling my name woke me up from the so-far weirdest _ménage-__à__-trois_ dream I'd had after ingesting Eric's and Godric's blood. Eric had been crying human tears and I had tried soothing him with kisses and what not, while his Maker… well, his Maker had been doing more normal sex dream stuff. What made it so weird was that Eric – brutish and always-sarcastic Eric – had been c_rying_ and whispering for me not to leave him, and I had honestly never had a dream about the Viking with any emotion other than raw, animalistic lust.

"_Sophie."_

I opened my eyes and blinked in confusion at the soft, mercury gaze that met mine. It was always a bit of a jolt to go from sex-dream to reality, but I suppose I _was_ getting more or less used to it these days.

"Godric? When did you come?"

"Just now." His nostrils twitched slightly, and I rolled my eyes. My period had slowed down quite a bit – which I assumed was the reason I was not woken up by other means – but it apparently still held some attraction to the vampire. However, he controlled himself, and Margery's tense face as she popped into my field of vision gave me a good idea as to why.

"So… you've met Margery? And Margery, Godric?" I introduced lamely, sitting up on the couch.

The two eyed each other with poorly hidden hostility.

"I'll take that as a yes," I sighed.

"If you've met one vampire you've met them all," Margery mumbled under her breath, which Godric – of course – heard perfectly fine.

"And if you have drunk from one witch you have drunk from them all," he retorted in a very un-Godric like mocking.

"_Godric!"_ I gasped, astonished. "Be nice!"

"_Excuse_ me, fanger?!" Margery hissed, placing her fists on her hips.

Godric's one eye brow shot up. "That is how you see it, is it not? You are part of a sisterhood of angry humans claiming centuries of hurt for crimes committed against people you have no relation to."

"There are plenty of modern day vampire attacks made against witches!" Margery's eyes would probably have shot lightning at that moment, had that been one of her powers. "And I am sure that you have plenty of witch blood on your fangs, however much you have white-washed your past to get Sophie to fall for you!"

"Guys!" I interrupted, getting to my feet with outstretched arms. "Please, calm down! There is no need…"

I got completely ignored as they launched into an argument about the vampire/witch wars and who was the bigger arsehole during that time (slightly paraphrased), Margery angrily screeching while Godric stuck to cold sarcasm.

Wow, they were really not kidding when they said that there was tension between witches and vampires!

Taking a quick assessment of the situation I figured that they would stick to verbal fighting until they managed to get it out of their system. "Well, I'll be outside hiding with Ryan when you're done," I snarked as I made my way to the door. "And by the way, you're both being equally ridicules."

Ryan was hiding out by the chopping block, an impressive amount of firewood stacked in a pile next to it.

"So how did you get mixed in with vampires and witches again?" I asked him in an attempt to ease his clearly uncomfortable mood.

The big man groaned, stroking a hand over his sweaty forehead. "I have a buddy from my old pack in Jackson, Mississippi who referred some business my way from that big blonde one, Mr Northman, and when I moved down here he recommended me to Mr Godric. Maybe I was just born under an unlucky star."

I giggled at his theatrical facial expression. "I'm sorry – I have a feeling it wasn't this bad before I got involved."

"Well, I'd never seen anyone shoot light with their hands before you, for sure," he agreed. "But I suppose it's not that much worse than turning into a wolf every now and again."

Some would argue that it was quite a bit better, but I kept that to myself – I knew my prejudice against werewolves stemmed from my rather unpleasant first experience with them.

We hung out in the yard for a while, chatting about his old pack and a little about his new one while we waited for the witch and the vampire to finish arguing. It took about an hour before they became quiet and we went in to check that both were still alive and in good health.

As it turned out they were fine, though the atmosphere in the living room wasn't exactly top notch. It was the start of a two week long cease-fire mainly spurred by their grudging acceptance that the other was fairly awesome when it came to helping me as best they could, something I was very grateful for.

I spent my days exhausting myself at the witch coven working on controlling the energy in my body and at Ryan's home practicing with an unyielding Margery, and the nights and evenings I spent with Godric getting more of a physical workout at various locations outside, as Margery and I shared Ryan's guestroom.

He also took me house viewing, which was an interesting experience for our relationship. Godric leaned towards big mansions in a combined modern-Roman style with very little garden, while my tastes were quite a bit more down to earth. I took some pleasure in it being equally frustrating for the vampire to have me scrunch up my nose at whatever horror show of a white box he'd drag me to see as it was for me to listen to him go on and on about the lack of security in the older farmhouse types I favoured. Godric wasn't exactly used to having to listen to anyone else's opinion when he settled on a nest, and I'm ashamed to say that I pulled the 'Well, we don't _have _to live together, it's your money anyway…_' _card until he finally relented and agreed that we could update the style of house I wanted with the necessary security systems and sun-proofing more easily than we could grow an old garden with ancient trees at one of the modern houses that passed his safety checks.

When Godric put in the down payment on what was to be _our_ home Margery had gone back to Kentucky and her own life, deeming me stable enough to manage on my own with the sporadic support of the witch coven. I had asked her to come visit again soon, for pleasure rather than work this time, and she'd sent Godric a sarcastic look pointing out that she probably wasn't very welcome.

But Godric had surprised us both by calmly noting that she had a place to stay and friends in Dallas whenever she needed either, which was as good as stating that he considered himself in her debt for the help she'd provided me. I took that as he would one day be ready to learn about the witch coven operating in his territory, though I was in no rush to share that knowledge just yet.

* * *

Life had started to calm down again towards the end of the spring season, though the threat of having my abilities exposed to the vampire community never really went away even though I worked hard on gaining full control of them.

The work needed on our farmhouse located on the outskirts of Dallas was almost completed and I was starting to get thoroughly excited by the prospect of moving in, and was seeing my relationship with Godric in more of a normal light (as normal as it gets when you are seriously dating a vampire) rather than this angsty rollercoaster ride it had started out as. Sure, we were still shagging against every hard surface we got near for most of our waken hours together, and I loved him in a big and scary way that occasionally made panic coil in the pit of my stomach, but due to the blood-bond we had now made permanent with enough blood exchanges he felt it every time and managed to soothe my worries.

And eventually, I told him the full story of Marcus and the prank he and – as it turned out – his fraternity had played on me, which made me leave college after sitting and staring at a razorblade an entire night.

I even showed him a couple of the videos they'd taped of us having sex that were still floating around on the internet. It had been something they did to some freshman girl every year, but I'd been so fucking stupid and desperate for the love I thought he'd offered that it had apparently been amusing enough to keep up for months. The worst part for me had always been the videos of me talking about my feelings that had been the cause of much laughter around campus, but they seemed to have disappeared off the internet. I assumed because they weren't as popular as the naked-and-doing-naughty-stuff ones.

I'd seen Godric angry before, mainly when a vampire or were had attempted to get handsy with me in some capacity. It was nothing compared to the fury that filled the room in quiet blackness after I'd finished telling him about Marcus.

He didn't say anything, just sat on the guest bed in Ryan's house with his arms around me staring at the now dark screen of my netbook, shaking in a way that I recognised from when he tried to hold back his strength so he didn't hurt me when we had more passionate sex.

"Don't kill him," I muttered into the soft material of his shirt. "He's not worth it."

"Oh, he is worth it," an ominous hiss sounded against my hair. "But I am sure I can come up with something much worse and drawn out to even the score. Do not concern yourself with how, my light, but know that he will pay. Fully."

I shuddered in his embrace at the unspoken horrors in that particular statement, but somehow I couldn't manage to be scared for the guy who'd ruined my life. For the first time in years I felt calm when thinking about him.

And then, when Godric had regained enough control of his temper to stop shaking, he told me about his time as a slave for the Romans, and the horrors he had been put through by his owner, who later became his maker. He told me about the molestation and rapes he'd suffered from he was very young, about the pain and humiliation and constant fear, about how it had broken something in him so severely that he was a savage for centuries unable and unwilling to trust any human and taking pleasure in causing them unspeakable pain.

He told me that turning Eric, following a millennium alone in the wild after killing his maker, had been the first step towards regaining his humanity.

I shed many of my human tears for his fate that night, something that still astonished and awed him.

When I woke alone in my bed the next morning I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I no longer was a unity in myself, that part of me had been substituted with a little of his soul and that I would never again be whole without him.

It didn't even scare me a little bit.

That was the same morning that Sookie Stackhouse called me in a state of panic.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**21**

"Sookie, hi!" I greeted the caller, surprise evident in my tone even to me. I hadn't heard from her since I left for Kentucky so this was very unexpected. "How are you doing?"

"_Really not very well,"_ she noted, the high pitch of her voice making it clear that she was in quite a panic. _"Since I have Eric sleeping in my house!"_

I blinked, not sure if I was more confused over her sleeping with the arrogant Viking or that she found the experience so horrifying that she'd call to confess to me, of all people. "Uh..?" I managed intelligently.

"_I found him half-naked on the road last night and he has no recollection of anything. There's nothing there – he didn't even know his own name! Have you got any idea what the heck is going on?"_

My confusion wasn't exactly decreasing, and I could honestly say that no, I had no idea what was going on. "What? Like, he's got amnesia?"

"_Yes! I tried calling Pam when I found him, but she didn't answer, and I didn't remember that you could get a hold of Godric before this morning… you _can_ get a hold of him, right?"_

"Well, not _now._" I glanced at the sunlight sifting in through the blinds. "But I'll tell him tonight when he comes around after doing the sheriff-stuff he needs to."

She inhaled deeply, and I got the sense that she was trying very hard not to scream at me. _"You really aren't getting how serious this is, honey. I've got Eric freakin' Northman in my house, and he has no memory of _why _it's not a good idea_ _to eat me! He kept _sniffing_ me until I had to punch him in the nose! Just, please, come pick him up before he wakes up!"_

"Right, right," I hastily agreed, somewhat more understanding of why she was so panicked. I vaguely wondered how she'd survived punching him in the nose, but thought it better not to ask just at that point in time. "What's your address again?"

She told me, and I noted it down while scrambling around the room trying to get into a pair of shorts. "I'll get Godric and myself on a plane as quickly as possible," I promised. "See you soon."

As soon as we'd hung up and I'd managed to get dressed I ran into the front room where Ryan was deeply engrossed in a magazine about motorbikes or something equally thrilling and manly.

"Ryan, we need to go to Godric's nest right now." My frazzled tone stirred him from his man-cave mode and his eyebrows rose in concern. "What's going on, sweet-pea?"

I ignored the over-cute pet-name; the longer I'd stayed with Ryan, the more nicknames I'd accumulated. It had started out as mild teasing after I'd complained about being called 'little lady', but had become more of an expression of general affection as our friendship grew. He was, however, careful not to use too many endearments when Godric was around as the vampire had become less enthusiastic about me living with another guy when he'd realised how close we'd gotten. Only the insurance he got through our blood-bond that there was nothing but platonic feelings there had stopped Ryan from getting promptly fired the night Godric had turned up and found me massaging the were's shoulders after he'd strained them in a fight.

"Eric's in some sort of trouble and we need to get to Louisiana right now." I was practically bouncing on the spot to get him to move. "Come one, please, right now!"

He unfolded his big body, eyebrows furrowed, and got to his feet. "Can't this wait until tonight? I'm not sure…"

"No, it really can't." I grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards the door. "We need to be there when the sun sets so he doesn't eat my friend."

Ryan chose not to ask any more questions – a habit he'd picked up from dealing with vampires for a few years – but he grabbed his keys and let me lead him out to the truck.

* * *

It was odd to be back in the grand mansion that, come to think of it, had been the setting for quite a few of my more dramatic moments in life.

It was, expectedly for that time of day, completely quiet, save for Ryan's jingling keys as he paced in the foyer and my quick patter towards Godric's bedroom.

I punched in the code on the keypad, happy he hadn't changed it since I'd been there, closed the door behind me and pretty much ran to the bed, jumping on Godric's still form.

"Honey, honey wake up!" I shook him roughly, knowing that it took quite a bit to wake a sleeping vampire during the daytime.

A s_narl_ sounded as his eyes shot open, and suddenly I was on my back with fangs piercing the skin of my throat.

I screamed. Loudly.

The vampire let go of my neck, pulling back and staring at me with confused, distant eyes, still keeping my shoulders pinned to the mattress with his iron-grip.

"Godric, what the _fuck_!" I gasped, reaching up to feel the two puncture wounds.

He blinked, and it was as if his normal personality melted into place, horror quickly overtaking the confused expression.

"Good God, Sophie!" He practically jumped off me, pricking his finger on a fang and smoothing his blood over the marks he'd left before he settled back in, pulling my shocked form to him. "Do not ever wake me up like that again!"

I snorted, outrage settling in over the shock. "How about _you_ don't attack me when I wake you?!"

"I am so sorry, little one," he murmured, looking really rather sorry while smoothing a hand along my cheek. "I am not conscious for a short while after being woken during the day and react on instincts alone."

Conceding to his soothing caresses I shot him a curt glare, pushing myself closer to his – oh, would you look at that, naked – body. "You managed quite a bit better when I woke you up at the Fellowship of the Sun when we first met."

"I was weak from starvation then," he reminded me, stretching an arm out so I could press kisses to the runes along the bicep as his eyelids started to close again now that the first shock of the awakening had settled down. "Besides, you did not wake me by violently shaking me. Thank the stars that the taste of your blood reminded me… " His voice drifted off as the day threatened to take him away again.

The sight of the blood trickling from his nostrils and ears – the bleeds setting in because he was awake during daytime– was not what made me pale and pull away from his embrace. "Oh, Goddess, I…" I had completely forgotten about Sookie and Eric. And Ryan, who was waiting in the hall. "Godric, something is wrong with Eric. Sookie called me this morning and said that she'd found Eric running around on the road last night, and that he has no memory of who he is."

The dark-haired vampire's mercury eyes shot open again, only to get a faraway look. I could feel his power vibrating through his body, brushing against me in a dark caress.

"He is asleep and well," he sighed, relief in his voice. "Was she certain?"

"Yeah, very certain. And freaking out. She let him sleep in her house, but she's scared he's going to attack her when he wakes up. We have to get to Louisiana _right now._"

"Mhm," he agreed sleepily. "Just use the credit card." And then he checked out, leaving me to deal with travel arrangements and how to get his sleeping form into a travel coffin without having another accidental attack(Ryan 's impressive strength and ample amounts of soothing whispers from me turned out to work quite well).

The were offered to go with us, to keep me safe during the daytime, but as I pointed out, Anubis Air had plenty of security, and we would be travelling most of the light hours anyway.

So I sat through another nerve-wracking flight to Louisiana alone, worrying about Godric in the cargo hold, about Sookie having to face a hungry and amnesiac vampire before we could get there – and even a little bit about Eric. However, it was hard not to remember the last time I'd been on this route, and how the intense stay in Shreveport with my family had finally brought Godric and I close enough to give in to the undeniable chemistry we'd been ignoring for so long up until then. I smiled a little when I recalled dancing with him at that club; I was really a grade A idiot, but to be fair, if he hadn't been so wrapped up in his broody _'I will taint you, Sophie, you are too pure for me'_, I was fairly certain our relationship would have taken off that night. Or the night I – unaware at the time about how drinking fresh blood worked for vampires – had offered him to lick my wounds clean. Or any of the other nights we'd spent together, pining like lovesick puppies. Yup, we were both morons.

I had the chauffeur who picked us up at the airport drop Godric off at the Styx River Suites Hotel in Shreveport – the closest vampire-safe hotel to Bon Temps – and rented out a car so I could make the drive to Sookie's before darkness fell. What it would help that we would both be there to face the Viking instead of just her I hadn't quite figured out yet, but it surely had to be better than just leaving her alone with him until Godric could make it up from Shreveport after nightfall.

* * *

Sookie's little farmhouse was very cute and actually looked a little like a smaller version of the one Godric had bought for us before the renovations had begun, but I was too concerned to be too gushy about it right then.

The petite blonde opened the backdoor when I pulled up, and quickly made it down the steps to greet me with a relieved sigh. "Oh, thank goodness!" she sighed. "Did you bring Godric?"

Well, I wasn't about to try and deal with the tall horror of a vampire on my own, was I.

Sookie smiled a little, and I suddenly recalled her telepathy and blushed. "Sorry."

She waved me off." Don't worry about it – and thank you so, so much for coming."

"Could you tell me a little more about what happened last night?" I asked, following her inside the little house that was absolutely spotless and shone with a homely glow. I was sat on a flowery couch, balancing sweet iced tea in a pretty glass on my knees before I knew it; Sookie sure was a Southern hostess.

She sighed, and that tense smile I recognised from the disaster of a party where we'd met spread on her face. "Well, I stopped my car when I spotted him because… well, I had no idea what the heck he was doing out here, so far from Shreveport. And he just looked at me like I was a stranger, and started prattling along in I guess Swedish… and then he _sniffed me!" _she looked rather alarmed at that.

"Isn't that just what they do?" I asked, remembering fondly how Godric snuck in discrete sniffs at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention, or when he'd picked up a new scent on me.

Sookie shuddered. "You don't understand… I apparently smell very… tasty to vampires. Something about my bloodline. And they tend to get all fangy when they smell me. And Eric did too, and I panicked and jumped out of the car – because he clearly wasn't himself – and then he _chased me!_ I had to punch him in the nose before he stopped."

I blinked, trying to imagine punching Eric and getting away with it. It was a pleasant thought, of course, but… "How on Earth did you survive that?"

She looked a little puzzled at that herself. "I don't know… he just… he was really weird. He looked at me like I'd punched him unprovoked and told me I'd broken his nose. And then he just looked so lost and said he couldn't remember anything, so I... I took him home and put him to bed." A slight, red tinge coloured her cheeks as if she was very unsure why she'd taken pity on Eric Northman and treated him like a stray dog.

"Where is he sleeping? Do you have anywhere there is light tight enough? The basement?"

Her lips pinched up in anger for a moment. "This is a very long story, but a few months back he bought my house… and installed a cubby in it. He is perfectly safe."

I just stared at her for a while, but she didn't seem like she wanted to share that particular story right about now, and I was honestly not sure I had enough room in my head for any more oddities right at that point, so I decided to let it drop.

We sat and chatted for a little, waiting for dusk to settle. She asked me some careful questions about Godric and I, having apparently been told that we were in some form of relationship by Eric, pre-amnesia, and I got the feeling that she sifted through my thoughts to ensure that I wasn't being mistreated in any way. It should probably have outraged me that she did this, but it didn't; having learnt a little more of the vampire world after last time we saw each other I understood her worry and appreciated her concern.

"I thought Bill was my soul-mate, once," she finally said, quietly and sadly. Then she smiled at me. "But I see that the real thing is so much different. You are very lucky."

Soul-mates. I don't know why that term hadn't clicked in my mind before. He had called me his mate since the first night we had made love, and I'd just assumed it was the vampire term for girlfriend, or something to that extent. I wondered if he, too, felt the merging of souls that I myself had come to realise that same morning. The thought made me shiver in pleasure and longing – it was really rather pathetic and overly gooey.

I was ripped out of my mushy thoughts by a creaking from a wooden cabinet behind me, my eyes first landing on Sookie's suddenly pale face and then, whipping my head around so fast my neck cracked unpleasantly, on the tall, blonde vampire that had suddenly emerged from the cabinet.

And that's when it hit me: What. The. Fuck. Were we still doing here?! _Why_ didn't we just, I don't know, _leave_ for the night to let Godric deal with his wayward son?!

It's not like I normally had much of an idea about what to do with Eric, and even less so when he wasn't fully there and potentially very dangerous. I had just enough time to think that I hoped Godric would make it there before things went awkward and bloody, when a _whoosh_ made me startle and shriek.

Eric was stood between Sookie's chair and the sofa I was on, his back to her and a wary look on his handsome face as he looked me over. And I suddenly realised, from his stance and concerned expression, that he was protecting the small woman – from _me_. The ridiculousness of the situation made me snort as an involuntary laugh made its way up my throat.

Seemed like Sookie had worried for nothing when she was scared he'd wake and suck her dry.

"Oh Eric, you're in bad shape, eh?" I offered, unable to hide my amused grin.

"You know my name?" He glanced questioningly down to Sookie. "She knows me?"

I got to my feet and reached a hand out to gently pat his arm – the way his eyes darted between me and her, uncertainty and confusion plain in them, made him look so vulnerable that the movement was instinctual. "Yeah, I know you, you big goon."

His nostrils flared as he took in my scent, and his face lit op before he lowered his head and buried his nose in my hair. I froze, suddenly understanding why it had freaked Sookie out the night before.

"You are mine?" Relief vibrated in his voice that somehow seemed so young and un-Eric like in its openness and uncertainty.

"Oh goodness, no!" I quickly stepped back and out of the gentle grasp of his big hands that'd come up to rest on my shoulders; there was absolutely no reason to give the Viking the wrong idea here!

"But… you smell like… home?" He looked a little puzzled, as if he couldn't quite place the concept. "And…" Eric took another whiff. "Of me?"

Thankfully, Sookie helpfully stepped in then. "She is your Maker's. You can probably smell him on her."

"And you gave me a lot of your blood a few months ago," I explained, taking in his big form. Sookie had dressed the vampire in basket shorts and a sleeveless hoodie, and she didn't seem to have been able to find a pair of shoes big enough to fit him, because his feet were bare. He looked ridicules, and that somehow hammered home the fact that he was absolutely not himself. The Eric Northman I knew would never look anything but lethal sex personified. "Oh man, what are we gonna do with you?"

"I don't know." The lost look on his face was downright adorable, and I couldn't hold back a snicker over the contrast to his normal behaviour. He sent me a hurt glance, and I reached out to pat his arm again in an apology.

At that point it knocked on the door, and I breathed a sigh of relief as Sookie went out into the hallway to open the door, inviting Godric inside before quickly returning to the living room, not wanting to leave me alone with the tall vampire; she was a good friend.

Godric appeared in the doorway, and I managed to smile warmly at him in greeting before I was suddenly shoved roughly backwards, colliding with a yelping Sookie who'd suffered the same fate, as Eric took up an aggressively protective stance in front of both of us, fangs extended.

"Eric!" Sookie scolded, straightening herself.

"He is dangerous!" the Viking snarled, eyes not leaving Godric, who had raised his eyebrows ever so slightly as he took in the situation. "He reeks of strength!"

"Oh, good heavens! That's your Maker – Godric," I sighed, attempting to shove past his shoulder. He didn't budge, keeping me safely behind his broad back and out of sight from the shorter vampire. "He's here to help." I really, really hoped he could help.

Eric took in his scent, and then dropped his defensive stance somewhat, retracting his fangs with a _click_. "Maker?" he whispered.

"Eric." Godric stepped forward, causing Eric to drop to his knees – I felt a brush of power and knew Godric had done something vampire-y with the bond they shared.

My lover placed his hands on each side of his Son's face, peering into his blue eyes. "What happened to you?" Concern was plain on his features.

"I don't recall, master." The blonde's eyebrows were furrowed as if he tried to recall his Maker. "I don't even remember you."

"What is the last thing you remember?"

Eric blinked. "I… nothing. There is nothing."

Godric looked up to me. "Can you do anything?"

What?

"Uh? Like what?"

He shook his head, looking back down to his Child. "I am sorry – I feel your power growing and forget that you do not train with magic in the normal sense. I think this has been done by witches."

We were interrupted by another knock on the door – or rather, a pounding.

Sookie sprung up to go open up but didn't even manage to utter a full invitation before a blonde woman of about my height was standing in the room, eyes trained on Eric.

"So it is true?" she whispered.

He looked at her without any comprehension.

"This is Pam, your Child," Sookie introduced awkwardly from the doorway.

I don't know why, but my first thought was _'Godric's a grandfather?!'_. My brain seemed to have decided to opt for the scenic tour of the situation.

"Oh." Eric looked as shocked as I felt. "Do I have others?"

The blonde shook her head, lips pressed tightly together. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Pamela, do you have any thoughts on who could have done this?" Godric broke through the awkward moment.

She stared at her Maker for a while longer. "Bill," she whispered.

Sookie turned green in the other end of the living room.

"He is the new king of Louisiana, and he's had a grudge against Eric for a long time now. This could be his attempt at getting rid of Eric once and for all."

Godric frowned. "If that is true, then we need to hide him until we can undo what has caused this."

I smiled in relief, glad there was a relatively easy fix to the present problem, and gently placed my hand on Godric's elbow. "Well, we can just take him home with us then. Do you want me to book an extra travel coff…" I stopped talking as he looked at me with regret "What am I missing?"

"If it is indeed a king that has done this, then he cannot be around other vampires, and especially not his Maker – or Child. That would be the first place they would look for him if they wished to finish the job, and we do not know who we can trust to keep his presence a secret."

"Ryan?" I suggested, frowning at the thought of the poor were having to put up with not only me, but also the arrogant Viking he so clearly wasn't a fan of.

Godric gave me the longest look, one that gave me an uncomfortable feeling that he'd already decided on the course of action – and that I wouldn't like it.

"Come with me outside for a moment, please, my light," he asked, letting go of Eric and holding out his hand to me.

I took it and let him lead me outside into the sweetly scented Louisiana night.

"What is it, Godric?" I gave him a stern look to let him know to cut straight to the chase.

The dark-haired man sighed softly, squeezing my hand gently with his. "I have gone through the options, and there is only one person Eric would be safe with until we work out who is behind his memory loss. We cannot move him back to Dallas – the travel arrangements would be too suspicious, and I do not want to subject him to the risk of trekking through the countryside in his current condition. Little one… I will have to ask of you the favour you once promised me."

I blinked in surprise. "What…" Recollection set in as I remembered the first time I had begged him to take me flying and had promised a future – and unspecified - favour in return. "You are actually going to keep me to that?!"

"A promise was given," he said quietly. "And I need you to do this for me, for him."

My lips pinched to a narrow line as I let go of his hand and folded my arms around myself. "What is it, then? Be v_ery _specific."

"Stay here with him, my love. Take good care of him, keep him safe." He looked into my eyes with the saddest expression. "He is my Son – I cannot risk his death, even if it means that I will have to be apart from you for a little while."

"You will be going back." It was a statement rather than a question. "You are going to leave me alone with Eric, of all people. What on earth do you expect that _I _will be able to do to keep him safe_?_"

He smiled softly, taking my hands in his again, though I put up a little bit of a struggle to make absolutely sure that he knew I wasn't happy with him. "Your power has grown – I can taste it in your blood when I drink from you. You are stronger than you think. But most of all he needs care, and that I know of no one who can give better than you. Your love has brought me back from the brink – I have faith that you can do the same for my Child."

He seemed to have missed that that were two vastly different circumstances. I told him as much.

"Please, Sophie. I would not ask if I had another way," he murmured, hands clenching mine.

I was certain that jerk knew exactly what his begging did to my stupid clump of a heart.

"_Fine!"_ I snapped. "But if your Son goes savage and drains me, then I hope you'll remember that I told you that this is a horrifically bad idea!"

"He will protect you, just as you will him," he promised, pulling me in to a short but fierce kiss, arms wrapping tightly around me. "I would not – could not – leave you if I thought you were without protection, my soul."

"Then stay," I muttered sullenly, resting my head against his shoulder.

"I cannot. If it is known that I reside in the area – and it would be known shortly when rumour spreads that I am no longer in Dallas – it would be painfully clear to this king, or whoever is behind this, that I am with my progeny. I cannot leave him that exposed when we are unsure of who our enemy is – and what their reasons are." He hugged me tighter. "I do not wish to leave you, Sophie. You know this."

I did. I felt it as a tight pull behind my naval and a tugging at my heart. "So where will we stay, then?" I asked, pulling back and trying to be practical about it. "And what will we do to get to the bottom of this?"

"I will ask Miss Stackhouse to let you and Eric stay with her. She seems fond of you both."

I snorted at that – fond wasn't the word I would use to describe her feelings towards Eric – but Godric ignored me and continued. "Pamela and I will find the reason – you are not to concern yourself with that, understood? Simply stay here, enjoy your daytime and make sure Eric does not leave the house unattended at night. And if you can…" He hesitated, peering into my eyes in a way that made me want to promise him absolutely everything. "If you can, comfort him when he needs it. He is very scared, and alone."

I gave him an admonishing glare. "Eric is never scared."

"You do not know him for anything other than the facade he has shown you, little one," Godric said gently. "And he does not have that to hide behind now. Please my love, be gentle with him."

Nodding mutely – because I couldn't get myself to word a promise that involved being 'gentle' with Eric Northman – I pulled back a little. "Alright. We'll do it your way, then, if Sookie agrees to have us stay with her."

"Thank you." His lips brushed over mine. "I will make sure…" Another kiss. "… That you never forget how thankful I am." His mouth trailed towards my jawline.

"Hmm. You better!" I replied tartly, spinning around and walking towards the house before we'd end up getting too side-tracked.

The situation inside was a little tense – Eric was stood protectively in front of Sookie again, staring firmly at his Child, who looked like she'd had a run-in with the floor, if the curled-up rug and her mushed hair was anything to go by.

"What er..?" I asked, glancing towards the only other human there.

"My Child needed to know to speak to this woman with respect," Eric stated simply, in a tone that was a lot more like his normal voice than anything else he'd said that evening.

Pam grimaced, but lowered her head slightly. "Yes, master."

Godric ignored the awkwardness. "Miss Stackhouse, I have a request to make of you."

The small telepath looked a little wary - which I really couldn't blame her for.

"It seems that your house is a safe harbour for now. I would request that you allow my Son and my mate to stay with you for the time being. You would naturally be compensated – generously – from my son's estate. Sophie will take care of Eric, so all I ask of you, apart from board, is that you do not tell anyone he is here – or of Sophie's relationship to me."

To my great surprise Sookie simply smiled. "I can do that."

I had somehow expected a bit more of a fight out of her – it was a little deflating, though I appreciated that she didn't seem to mind having me stay there.

"Thank you for your kindness." He offered her a small smile, and then turned to Eric. "My Son, I am leaving you in charge of protecting this woman – and my mate."

Eric bent his head humbly. "I will keep them safe, master."

Godric stepped over and reached up, placing a hand against the Viking's cheek. The simple gesture, and the way he ever-so-gently stroked his cheek showed with all possible clarity that there was no small amount of love in his heart for the unruly vampire he'd created. "As your Maker, I command you to never harm either of them no matter the circumstances. And to make sure that no harm comes to my human from anyone else while I must leave her in your care."

Pam hissed somewhere behind me, but I assumed that she was just a little pissy about seeing her beloved Maker commanded to do anything.

Eric took it rather calmly. He nodded seriously the once, kneeling down in front of the smaller man. "I will do as you command, Maker." His blue eyes found mercury ones.

Godric nodded, giving his cheek one final stroke before he turned to Pam. "We must leave now, Pamela. When you have returned home I want you to notify this king that you have not seen Eric for two nights, and that you cannot feel your bond to him. We will be staying in touch."

She nodded and left the house with one last glance to her Maker.

And then Godric turned to me, and I threw myself into his arms, finally fully realising that we would be apart for an undisclosed period of time.

"I will call you every night," he mumbled into my ear, voice a little hoarse. "Do not be sad, little one. We will see each other soon, I promise."

I nodded mutely into his shirt, fighting back tears.

"And when you come home, we can move into the house you chose for us," he continued quietly, arms tightening a little around me. "And maybe get some of those cats you mentioned once?"

A laugh made its way up my throat at that, and I pulled my head back up and smiled at him. "Cats, you say? Isn't that a little soon?"

He smiled gently, placing a lingering kiss on my lips. "Not at all."

"You should leave now," I sighed, reluctantly letting go of him. "Or this will not end before dawn."

Godric nodded and pulled back. "Until tomorrow night then, my dearest." He nodded to Sookie. "Miss Stackhouse."

And then he was out the door, and I stood feeling a little lost in a room that contained an uncomfortable-looking Sookie (who had done her best to pretend she couldn't see or hear the tender moment between Godric and I), and a tall Viking vampire in basket shorts who looked like he was feeling even more lost than I was.

Oh, boy was this not how I'd expected to spend my summer.

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_As you can probably tell, I'm incorporating a little of season 4's plotline at this point, but again, it's an AU story so please don't get too freaked out when things are different to how they turn out in the show!_


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**22**

I was used to being up late; it was one of the natural changes to one's routine when dating a vampire/being a fangbanger, along with adding iron supplements and vitamin B to the diet, and only eating garlic when the vampire-in-question subtlety needed to be informed that he was in trouble for something or other. (I tended to get passive-aggressive cravings for Italian food when Godric was late or had to cancel our plans due to sheriff-business.)

But though most of my nights were usually spent awake, I tended to fall asleep a couple of hours before dawn and as I sat on Sookie's couch playing cards with Eric for five hours straight it became hard to keep the yawns back.

"You should sleep," Eric noted. "Humans get sick when they don't sleep enough… Right?"

"Well, we get crappy," I muttered, stretching and sighing at my poor hand of cards. "But I can't go to sleep before you're safely tucked away in your cubby."

"I could wake you before dawn?" he offered, looking so innocent that I almost could believe that he wouldn't be out the door and on adventures (involving innocent people's arteries) the second I closed my eyes – but this was Eric, and amnesiac or not, I was not about to trust him not to cause trouble.

"Just play your hand, Viking." I gestured to him to put a card down, yawning again.

But the eventful day had well and truly exhausted me, and at some point I told myself I would just close my eyes for two seconds while he finished considering which card to play next… and the next thing I knew, I was wrapped up in Godric's embrace, being kissed thoroughly as his skilled hands slid my garments off my body one at a time.

* * *

"_Sophie?"_

I batted weakly at the hand that tried pulling me away from my lovely dream by shaking my shoulder rather roughly.

"_Sophie!"_

Annoyed, I cracked open an eyelid, only to startle at the sight of Eric's fangs mere inches from my face.

"_Holy hell_!" I quickly jolted awake, scrambling back on the couch as I clutched my hand against my suddenly wildly pounding heart.

"I am sorry I frightened you," he said, looking as bashful as it's possible for a vampire with his fangs extended to look. "But the sun will rise soon."

Oh crap, I'd fallen asleep!

"Oh man, Eric! What did you do?" I sighed, shooting him an accusing glare as I got up from the couch and headed towards the cabinet that hid his cubby.

He blinked in surprise, following me. "Nothing."

The cabinet hid a hole with a ladder going down into a completely dark room. I clambered onto it, wanting to make sure that Eric actually went to bed before I left him. Light sensors flicked on lights all around the small room when I started the descend. As soon as I'd reached the floor he landed next to me with an easy _thud_, seemingly having opted to just jump down. Must be nice to be super athletic, I thought sourly, rounding on him.

"What do you mean nothing?" I raised my hand, pointing a condemning finger at his fangs. "Something made those pop out. Just… please tell me you haven't eaten anyone." I was the worst babysitter ever; Godric would have been better off if he'd hired a pro – and so would Bon Temps' population.

His hand came up to hide them, embarrassment and surprise flashing over his face – two very alien emotions to see on Eric Northman's features – before he retracted them with some effort. "Oh, I… I am sorry. You smell… very good."

My face paled. "Didn't you get enough TruBlood?" He couldn't hurt me, Godric had Commanded him not to, he couldn't hurt me…

He sent me a rather sheepish look. "Yes. But when you slept, I think you dreamt… of my Maker. You said his name." And then his blue eyes flickered briefly to my denim shorts. My sleepy brain clocked on, causing a hefty blush to find my face.

"_Eric!"_ I shrilled, pulling down on my top in a ridicules attempt at covering up my shorts more, as if the thin fabric of my T-shirt would help any. "That is so rude!"

The Viking looked thoroughly ashamed. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, letting his long body fold in so he plopped down on the wide bed that took up most of the enclosure, staring at his giant feet.

I briefly wondered how Sookie would feel about getting another vampire boyfriend, just for a little while, to keep any fang-mishaps in my direction to a minimum.

"Just… No more smelling me – at all!" I snapped, trying to control the blush. "And… go to sleep."

He sighed and rotated on the bed, obediently sliding underneath the covers, but his eyes stayed open, looking at me with a pleading expression. "Don't go."

"Beg your pardon?" My hands had already grabbed on to the steps of the latter and I honestly couldn't wait to get out of there.

"I don't like being alone in the dark."

If I hadn't been so tired and uncomfortable I would have probably wet myself from laughing. Eric –prince-of-the-goddamn-night Northman was afraid of being alone in the dark?! As it was, an exasperated giggle snort escaped me as I slumped against the latter, eyeing him incredulously. "You're kidding?"

"Please?"

The soft tone reminded me of Godric pleading with me to be 'gentle' with his Son, and one look at Eric's wide, blue eyes made it clear that no, he was not kidding.

Sighing, I trudged over to his bed and sat down next to the pillow. "Fine. But only until you fall asleep. I am _not_ spending the day here."

Eric responded by rolling over and curling up like an oversized housecat, resting an arm over my lap with a deep sigh.

Cuddly Eric was freaking me out.

I sat frozen, staring down at the vampire who'd forced a blood-bond on me and threatened me on more than one occasion, and I found it very hard to believe that this – whatever this was – was something Eric-with-his-memories-intact was even capable of being. No, it was like he had been replaced with a completely different person, like someone had sucked everything that was Eric out of his body and put in a stranger in his place. The thought that a vampire psychiatrist would have been great to have on hand right about now crossed my mind.

I couldn't tell when the sun rose from inside the completely closed-off room, but Eric's suddenly utterly dead form gave me a good clue. I eased myself out from under his arm and headed for the latter so I could get some sleep myself, uninterrupted by vampires with personality disorders.

* * *

It was early afternoon when I woke up in Sookie's guestroom, and a few moments after that that I realised that I hadn't thought to pack any spare clothes, or a toothbrush or… well, anything at all.

Looked like the credit card Godric had handed me around about the same time as he declared me 'his' and made his outdated views of me working - outside of painting in the safety of his or Ryan's home – painfully clear (fangs popped out during that particular argument, possibly due to the meltdown I had where I started throwing coins at him) would get a thorough workout today.

I found Sookie in the kitchen having a glass of orange juice. She jumped up when I came in, smiling brightly. "Morning! Did you sleep well? What can I make you for brunch?"

It was a little hard to take in that amount of enthusiasm shortly after waking up –without at least having on fresh underwear. "You don't have to act like it's a B&B, Sookie," I sighed, heading for the coffee maker. "Just… if I can bother you for some breakfast I'll pick up some groceries later, please?"

"Of course!" Sookie chirped, getting a frying pan out. "Is bacon and eggs alright?" Man, she was bouncy.

I nodded, sliding down at the table with a mug of coffee. "Do you know where I can go buy some new clothes in town? I sorta forgot to pack… anything."

"There are a few places in town. If you want I can show you the way on my way to work? I have the afternoon shift tonight, so I should be home around ten tonight." She paused, an unbroken egg hovering an inch off the edge of the pan. "Will you... be OK alone with Eric?"

"I'll be peachy, I'm sure," I sighed. "Who knows, maybe he'll wake up with his memories restored and we can all get out of your hair."

Hope springs eternal.

* * *

I made it home before dusk settled, grabbing a quick shower and getting into a set of my new clothes just as my phone rang, showing Godric's name on the display.

He didn't have much to tell me in regards to leads, so I spent quite a bit of time whining over how much I missed him and how weird Eric had been the night before.

Godric, bless him, had never been much for longer phone conversations, and I could tell that he was a little uncomfortable with staying on the line for non-essential chatter, though he was humouring me by letting me prattle on and offering soothing words of comfort along the way.

"Don't you miss me at all?" I sulked in the end, deciding that this one-sided conversation wasn't really _enough_.

"_You know I do, little one,"_ was the – completely expected – answer.

I smirked – he walked right into that one. "Oh? How much?"

A moment's puzzled silence while the ancient vampire worked out an answer. _"So much that I think I will lose my mind if we do not find a cure quickly. You enjoy hearing me say these things you already know?"_

I smiled happily. "Yeah. You like hearing me say that I love you, don't you?"

"_Of course, but…"_

My smile turned back into a smirk as I plopped down on the bed. "And that I think I'll die without being able to make love with you every night?"

A small chuckle sounded through the phone. _"And I without you, my love. Is that was this is about?"_

Well, the guy was smart. I laid down flat on the bed, closing my eyes and let my free hand wander. "I just thought that you might like to… _hear… _how much I'll miss your hands… and mouth…" I moaned softly as my fingers made it down the front of my pants.

The sharp intake of breath told me that he probably would.

"Why don't you tell me what your mouth would be doing – right now – if I was there?" I coaxed.

"_Sophie..."_ The voice was a little strained, which made my smirk grow. _"This is… very frustrating."_

Poor guy had clearly not understood the concept of phone sex, but just as I opened my mouth to suggest how to make it not-frustrating on his end, a shadow fell over my face.

My eyes shot up to look directly into blue orbs and a tall figure looming over me.

My panicked scream made Godric involuntarily hiss in surprise. _"Sophie?! What happened?"_

"Eric!" I managed to gasp, phone still pressed against one ear as I sat up. "What the _hell_ do you want?!"

"I had a bad dream," he whispered.

I blinked, staring at the Viking. "You did what? I don't even… Knock, for fuck's sake! You scared me half to death."

He stared down at his feet. "I'm sorry."

Was that blood forming at the corners of his eyes?! My shoulders slumped in defeat as I sighed into the phone. "Godric, I have to go. Eric…"

"_I know,_" he said softly. _"I feel him. I will speak with you tomorrow evening again."_

Hanging up I turned to the blonde vampire and patted the bed next to me. "Alright, what was it, then?"

Eric slumped down on the spot I'd indicated, seemingly lost in staring at his hands.

I put a tentative hand on his shoulder. "Eric?"

"Am I evil?" he turned his head to me, the look of complete devastation enough to make my hesitance towards him melt.

"Of course not." I reached up and wiped at his tears, which just caused them to get smeared over his face in a somewhat horrifying display, but he seemed to appreciate the gesture. "What makes you ask that?"

He pressed his cheek against my hand, making the stubble on his face prickle gently in my palm. "I dreamt that I killed Sookie," he mumbled. "She has been so kind to me, but she smells so _good_, and in the dream… I _killed_ her though she begged me not to."

I was fairly sure Eric had killed more than one girl in his long life, but now wasn't really the time to bring that up. "It was just a dream, Eric."

"But it's not!" His hands curled up, scrunching the bed sheets as they did. "I have this _hunger_ all the time, and some part of me _wants _to taste her blood! She smells so…"

My lips managed to form a small smile. "You're a vampire, honey. The hunger is part of that, you must know this. That you have it does not make you evil – managing it makes you quite a bit better than most people, actually. Not many fight against their baser instincts like you do now."

"Does my Maker?" he asked quietly. "Is that why you love him?"

I smiled involuntarily at the thought of Godric. "He does – now. There was a time when he didn't. What made him decide to is why we can love each other."

He sighed deeply, and the very human gesture made my smile widen.

"Go get a shower, Viking. You will be OK – you're just a little lost right now, but Godric and Pam will make sure you're found," I promised, patting his shoulder with the part of my hand that hadn't gotten bloodstains from his tears. "I'll go get dinner started… and warm you a TruBlood."

His nose wrinkled at the mention of the bottled blood, but he got up nonetheless and headed for the shower.

* * *

I decided to make something nice and have a plate ready for Sookie to heat when she got off work, as a 'thank you' for having us crash at her place. Going through her cupboards and recipe books I quickly realised that she favoured the heavier, Southern kitchen that I just couldn't indulge too much in if I didn't want to balloon up. But I suppose that's one of the benefits of dating a vampire – he'd still be able to shift me around the bedroom after I'd gorged myself on fried chicken and biscuits for a few weeks.

But just as I'd pulled out a lovely-smelling casserole from the oven, I heard the front door open and a male voice shout "Sook? You in?"

Before I managed to say or do anything – apart from mildly freak out that a stranger was entering the house I was in - a _woosh_ blurred past me, and a yelp sounded from the hallway.

"Eric!" I called, quickly placing the casserole down and running to the hallway. I found the vampire with his hand wrapped around a shorter, blonde guy's neck, pressing him up against the closed door, his face a cold mask.

Oh, dear. I guessed, from the way he'd called for Sookie after just waltzing into her home, that this guy was a friend. "Who are you?"

He gasped a couple of times before he managed to get "Jason" out.

"Eric let go of him," I scolded the vampire, not missing the certain 'tell your guard dog to release its prey' similarity my command had.

Eric let go of the man, baring his fangs at him in a silent threat not to try anything.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" the shorter blonde cussed in a very southern twang, rubbing his neck. "Who the fuck are you two, attacking people in my sister's house?! I'm the goddamn police, and I _do _carry wooden bullets, fanger, so don't you try anything else!"

The Viking snarled at the threatening tone, his posture turning deadly still.

"_Eric!"_ This was seconds away from getting out of control – and Sookie's brother didn't seem like he was the type to be smart about it. "He is Sookie's brother, _don't hurt him!_ I'm terribly sorry Mr Stackhouse – we're Sookie's houseguests and Eric… he thought you were breaking in to hurt me." Possibly not entirely true, but possibly completely true, and in either case the best argument to calm the situation down.

Jason eyed me cautiously – and then a little more appreciatively. "Yeah? Sook didn't say she'd have guests."

"It was kind of a last moment thing. She's at work at the moment…" But I couldn't really have him going anywhere before he'd agreed to let Eric's presence remain a secret. "…But I just took out a casserole dish. Don't you want to stay for dinner? As sort of an apology?" I shot him my best smile, wiping off my fingers in the apron I had borrowed from the kitchen and went over to offer him my hand. "I'm Soph… _Eric, stop that!"_

The vampire had grabbed me by the waist, pulling me away before my palm could connect with Jason's. A low, warning growl vibrated through the hall.

I rounded on him as he let go of my waist, putting my hands on my hips. "Go into the living room!" It was pretty close that I added a 'bad vampire!' but I managed to stop myself.

"He could be a threat – I don't want you near him," the Viking snarled, sounding a little more Eric-esh than previously. "You are my Maker's, and I have to protect you."

"Eric, this man is Sookie's brother. He isn't going to hurt me – are you, Mr Stackhouse?" I shot him a quick glance over the shoulder.

"No ma'am," he offered politely. "I aint in the business of hurtin' pretty ladies."

This man was really not the brightest crayon in the box. Eric growled a little louder at his compliment.

"You _attacked_ him in his sister's home," I continued in order to draw the vampire's attention to me. "I know you're just being protective, but you can't just assault people like that. So please, stop growling or go into the living room. I will be fine."

His eyes narrowed, but he ceased the rather unnerving sound waves that had been rolling off him for a while, and he straightened up, folding his arms over his chest while he glared down at Jason.

I gave him a pointed look to behave before turning back around to Jason. "As I was saying, I'm Sookie's friend Sophie. Won't you stay for dinner and wait for your sister? She said she'd be home around 10."

Jason gave Eric a cautious glance, but then seemed to remember that he was a bad-ass police officer, hooked his left hand in his belt and grabbed my offered hand with his right. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Sophie. I'd love to stay for dinner and hear how you and my sis know each other."

I'm not gonna lie – dinner was a little awkward, and not just because Eric sat at the table, watching us humans like a hawk for any signs of threats or flirting, but also because Jason was a little hard to converse with when cars and sports weren't your favourite topics. I ended up asking him about what it was like to be a police officer in a town like Bon Temps, which led to the time being passed a little easier while he told me about the small town and the characters that lived in it.

When Sookie – finally – made it home Jason was in the middle of describing his work crew and the time they had to clear out a wasp nest from under a bridge.

"Sook!" Jason got up from the table to pull his sister in for a hug. "There ya are sis! You didn't tell me you had company over."

The blonde woman looked a little frazzled at the unexpected appearance of her sibling, but managed to smile to him. "Uh, no, it was a spur of the moment thing. What's going on, Jason?"

'_Sookie!'_ I thought as 'loudly' as I could to grab the telepath's attention.

She jerked a little, so I assumed I had succeeded.

'_We really need him to not tell anyone about Eric.'_

I got a brief nod as she pulled her brother out of the kitchen without him noticing that he was being shuffled out the door.

When she got back a few minutes later I'd fixed her a plate. She smiled appreciatively and sank down at the table. "Oh, this is just what I need after that shift! Thanks! How have you two been?"

"Just fine, thanks." I glanced to Eric who'd relaxed now that Jason had left the house. "Though your brother showing up caused a bit of a shock."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about him," she sighed. "He forgets that he doesn't actually live here. But don't worry, he won't say anything about our resident Viking." She sent Eric a grin that he happily answered. Then she sobered. "I heard an… interesting rumour at work today. My co-worker, Lafayette, was at a witch coven in Shreveport last night… it seems there's a group of witches practicing some strong magic there."

My body started pumping adrenaline round my system. "You're thinking..?" I glanced at Eric.

She nodded. "It would make sense, wouldn't it?"

It would. It really would.

"So…" I said, biting my bottom lip. "It would seem that we need a witch to go have a look at that coven, wouldn't it?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_Sorry about the irregular updating on this fic – this chapter did __not__ want to get written, for some reason. Anyway, I've got the chapter overviews for the rest of the story laid out so no, I won't be abandoning it, but (as you've probably noticed by now) updates won't be every other day as they used to. I hope you'll have patience with me and stick with the story – we don't have that long to go and I promise the ending will be worth it!_

* * *

xXx

* * *

**23**

As neither Sookie nor I were terribly keen on leaving an awake Eric to roam around on his own (it would seem we both had vivid imaginations when it came to thinking of the amount of trouble he could get into unsupervised) and Sookie had work in the evenings we decided that I should drive to Shreveport during the daytime to check out the place they met up.

Sookie's co-worker, who'd been there the night before, helpfully provided the address, but texted a warning to the petite blonde not to get involved with 'dat shit' as there was 'seriously bad mojo' going on in that place. It was around that point I decided not to let Godric know about the plan – I had a fairly clear idea that he wouldn't think somewhere with 'seriously bad mojo' was a place his human needed to hang out at, and since I was the only witch we knew in the area, him putting the brakes on my involvement would not be helpful if Eric was to regain his memories anytime soon.

However,_ I_ wasn't overly enthusiastic about Godric's human getting involved with evil witches either, so when I got into my rental the next day in the middle of the scalding afternoon I was feeling rather nervous and had to keep reminding myself that nothing bad would happen from just checking out the scene – I mean, they met up at night, according to Lafayette. It wasn't like I would be walking straight into a circle meeting.

* * *

The Moon Goddess Emporium was pretty much a smaller version of Fifth Element in Dallas, and I found it oddly comforting to browse the shelves, recognising herb mixtures, crystals and bestselling 'how to be a witch' books while breathing in incense.

"Are you looking for something in particular?"

I quickly looked up from a pretty crystal cluster I'd been admiring to find the shopkeeper's hazel eyes fixed on me.

Time to brush off my acting skills.

"Well… I was actually hoping that you knew something about a practicing coven in the area." I sent her my best smile, which withered somewhat under her cold stare. "Er… I just moved here from Kentucky and was told that there's a pretty strong coven working from Shreveport, so I thought… the local occult shop would be… the place to ask." I was probably not winning any Oscars anytime soon.

"You're a witch?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.  
I nodded. And then felt a brush of power, and it was nowhere near as comfortable as Godric's familiar, dark touch. I felt my inner walls snap shut as my arms started buzzing. It took me one, deep breath to push my own power back and calm my mind down.

"You have a lot of power," the witch said, eying me with more interest. "Tell me, what is your opinion of vampires?"

"Uh…" Well, this was certainly a trick question. Obviously, she was a witch, and as such, anything other than 'they are horrible creatures of evil that should be destroyed' would be the wrong answer, but on the other hand, she was certainly skilled enough to realise that the power she had felt from me had been unlocked with vampire blood. "That their blood is quite useful. Other than that, I can't say that I much care for them."

She smirked, and I felt relief tingle in my fingertips – I'd answered correctly.

"And do you have a specialty?"

My self-congratulatory thoughts sizzled and died. "Er? Like… in witchcraft?" And this was the point it would be undeniably evident that I was a poor excuse for a witch.

"Yes, tarot cards, herbs, crystals…" She quirked an eyebrow at my uncomfortable look. "You're a raw one, aren't you?"

I nodded, assuming she meant 'unskilled'. "It's still all a little new to me," I admitted.

"No matter, no matter. With that amount of power…" The way she was looking at me made me feel a little uncomfortable… it was sort of what I imagined a horse would feel like while being appraised. If horses realised what was going on when they were being appraised, of course.

"I'm Marnie." It seemed she'd realised that she was creepily muttering to herself, and offered me a broad smile to compensate. "Why don't you come to tonight's circle and I'll introduce you to everyone and you can see a little of what we're about?"

Oh, yeah, there was _that_ little hitch to the plan. "I would love to but I, er, have to get home and let my dog out."

"Oh no matter, we don't meet before midnight anyway – plenty of time to let him out for a run!" She looked expectantly at me, and I realised that this was our one-time-only opportunity to check out the witch coven from the inside.

"Oh great, then I'll be here for sure!" I chirped, wondering what the hell I could to about Eric while I was off being a spy. It wasn't like I could bring him and leave him in the car as if he'd been a real dog, however amusing that image was. "I'll see you later."

I spent the trip home wondering if it would be safe leaving Eric on his own for a few hours and if I should just let Godric know what I was planning so he could offer some advice and support.

But when he called me shortly before dusk I was back on the reality-train that would be a very pissed-off vampire boyfriend whose only offer of support would be to threaten to lock me up for even considering getting myself into any sort of trouble. That thought made me all moody, because as much as he might have looked like a sexy teenager (and wasn't that just the most horrible thought ever) to me when we first met, the harsh reality was that Godric had a tendency to try and parent me. Maybe that was just what I got for being with an older (so very much older) man who saw it as his life mission to protect me from the big, bad world.

Apparently, my bad mood came across our blood-bond, because the first thing Godric said to me when I picked up was: _"What is the matter, little one?"_

I suppose that in one sense, it was nice that I didn't have to be all frosty and snappy for him to realise when I was in a mood, but on the other hand, sometimes it was really, _really_ annoying because his evident and immediate concern for my wellbeing made it very hard to take it out on him. Bet that was why he wanted that bond in the first place, crafty bastard.

"I am not a little one!" I snapped into the phone.

"… "

"_What has made you upset?"_

"Do you think of yourself as my father or something?" It might be hard to take my mood out on him when he was using that sweet, gentle tone, but certainly not impossible.

To my irritation, a soft chuckle sounded through the phone. _"I did not realise that it was this time of your cycle, my love. No, I do not think of myself as your father – I see myself as your lover, your partner, your protector, your mate…"_

"I am _not_ PMSing, you sexist jerk!" I quickly did the math in my head – nope, all clear of hormonal influences. "I just…"

"_I miss you too, Sophie,_" he said softly as the pang of longing shot through me. _"Tell me how I can ease this for you and I will."_

"Fat chance of that when you don't even grasp the basics of phone sexing," I sulked, a little annoyed that he so easily soothed me with a few, gentle words.

"…_Pardon?"_

"Nevermind."

"_Is that what you were attempting yesterday?"_ An amused note had snuck back into his voice.

My silence told him all he needed to know.

"_If it will help you in any way, little mate, I will try it for you. But I cannot promise I will be able to do it for long – feeling your pleasure and hearing you moan when you are not here to soothe my ache for you makes me want to destroy something. Or someone. And I would rather not."_

The hint of darkness in his tone made a small shiver run up my spine. "You know… the point is that you soothe that ache yourself," I pointed out, biting down a moan just at the delicious thought of that.

Another soft chuckle sounded in my ear, but it was lower pitched and went straight to my centre that clenched hotly in response. _"You think I can gain any pleasure, any relief from that when what I crave is you and your warm, willing body wrapped tightly around me? Do you have no concept of how incredible it feels to fuck you?"_

Oh… _my_! That vampire went from clueless to extraordinarily dirty in seconds! I groaned involuntarily and my hand quickly made it to where he had caused a hot pulsing to start between my thighs.

A _growl_ resonated in the ear that was pressed against my phone.

"I love that you can feel me," I confessed, a little breathless. "That you know how wet I…" A static _crunch_ interrupted me, followed by a dead line.

I felt like murdering someone. If it wasn't Eric having a goddamn nightmare it was the electronic equipment failing – and I was just doomed to sexual frustration, it would seem. Disappointed, I flopped down flat on the bed, phone still in one hand while I focussed on my breathing to calm down.

A moment later my phone jolted me out of my miserable mood, flashing an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"_I apologise."_ Godric's voice.

"What happened? Is your phone dead? What number is this?"

"_Yes, my phone is dead. This is Isabel's phone. And what happened is that I lost control,"_ he stated calmly, with a dry note. _"I am very sorry, little one, but until I have you in my arms you cannot do that again while speaking to me."_

I snorted in a mix of disbelief and laughter. "You actually crushed your phone, didn't you?"

He made a noncommittal noise.

"Ah…. Yeah, that does make phone sex a lot more complicated," I teased.

"_Do you want to tell me what had you upset when I called?"_ Clearly, someone wanted to change the subject.

"Not really," I admitted. "I was just reminded that you are sometimes very _vampire _and dominating and annoying."

"_Hmm,"_ he hummed, not even having the decency to sound ashamed about it. _"Is that so, my little mate?"_

"Yes, it is so. And that is an example – who says 'mate'? Why not girlfriend? What are we, wolves?"

"_But you are not my girlfriend,"_ he countered, ignoring the dig about wolves. _"You are my mate, and thus I call you by that title."_

I rolled my eyes at his deadpan tone. "And what exactly does that mean in human speak, if not girlfriend?"

"_Sophie, you must know this?"_ Godric sounded truly surprised at my ignorance. And a little offended. _"You are my life-partner. Vampires do not break up from their mates, only death separates them. I believe the closest humans have is a spouse?"_

My brows furrowed by themselves as I took that in. "Wait… are you telling me that in vampire terms we are… _married?!"_

"_No. We do have marriages, mainly between powerful vampires to form a political front. What you and I have is a marriage of souls, if you will. Why am I having to explain this to you?" _My _mate_ was beginning to sound mightily ticked off.

"Godric..," I began, trying to pull my suddenly swirling thoughts together. "You do realise that you've never… _asked?" _

"_Asked about what?"_ His annoyance at my unawareness of what was so clearly an obvious concept to him showed in his tone.

This was definitely another vampire/human miscommunication, but it was probably the biggest one we had had yet, and the magnitude of it all had me stuttering. "Uh… If I wanted to be your… mate?"

"…"

"_Why would I _ask _you that? You _are_ my mate."_ His reply could have been given by a glacier.

The fingers not holding my phone had started to twitch nervously in my lap. "Because… because that's what humans do. When they want to spend the rest of their lives together they ask their _girlfriend_ for marriage. And then they, you know, actually _get married_, and it's a big deal and both parties are aware of what has happened, and… there are flowers and cake," I finished lamely.

There was a long, _long_ period of silence from his end.

"_This is something you desire?"_

It was funny - I hadn't even thought about marriage with Godric up until now; the intensity of our relationship had made that sort of speculation seem like a watered down version of what we already had. But while 'mate' meant an awful lot to the vampires we met, it meant nothing to the humans. And if he was not my boyfriend, I would like to have a term for him that they understood.

"I think so," I whispered. "I _know_ we are meant to be together, I believe you are… are my soul-mate." It was the first time I had said that to him. "But like the blood-bond to you and other vampires means we are always connected and belong together, marriage means the same to humans. And... I am human. And so are my friends. I don't mean we should get married _right now_, but maybe at some point in the future we should consider it, if we are to live together until I'm old and grey. I'd rather not be referred to as an unusually stubborn fangbanger when I'm 80."

He sighed softly into the phone. "_You are right, little one. I should have thought of this."_

"I am always right!" I beamed, feeling a sudden rush of pure, warm happiness wash through my body. Someday, he would be my _husband!_ And how very Twilight was that! I managed to strangle my snicker, having a good idea that Godric wouldn't appreciate being compared to that book.

Godric wisely chose not to comment on that statement.

We spent a little time chatting about Eric and the whole amnesia-situation, and something knotted uncomfortably in my stomach when Godric quietly told me that he thought there was a traitor among his closest underlings, and that he was speculating if there was a connection between what had happened to Eric and the were attack on me last year.

"But _why? _How?_"_ I managed, dumbstruck. I couldn't imagine anyone betraying Godric, and even less so to whom they would betray him. "And if that was the case, wouldn't that traitor have told this Authority about… about me and what I did to Tom?"

"_Only Isabel and Stan know about that, and I do not believe that either would… harm me so. But I have to at least consider that someone has made attacks on my human and my Child. It may not be related – but it would be unwise to rule out the connection. Of course, the weres were controlled by a vampire who had them addicted to his or her blood, according to the one we interrogated. I do not know how a vampire would go about controlling witches – the distrust is so strong between our kinds,"_ he mused. _"If it even is witches behind Eric's loss of memory."_

Well, he had that right. A memory of him and Margery bickering about the Witch Wars sprang to mind, and I snorted. But there was of course the fact that vampire blood let witches tap into more of their power. I mentioned this to him.

"_It is worth considering,"_ he agreed. _"But there has never been a previous example of this in our long history. The punishment for supplying a coven with blood… The True Death would be welcomed after that."_ He sounded like he didn't think that the apparently harsh punishment was too much to expect for such a crime

"You recall that you've been supplying your own witch with blood?" I asked tartly.

His confirming hum was a little too happy-sounding, and I rolled my eyes; the pleasure Godric got out of feeding me his blood was rather sexual of nature, and I suspected that he had initiated it a few more times than what was strictly necessary to make our bond permanent.

"_But bargaining with witches and increasing their power… if there was a vampire behind this he could be responsible for the death of many of our kind. And the potential outbreak of another war."_

A knock on my door stopped my answer.

"Yeah?" I called.

The door creaked open and Eric's face popped in, followed by the rest of his long body.

"Have another bad dream, hun?" I asked, automatically patting the bed next to me – it was very hard not to treat him like the lost puppy he looked like.

"No." He remained just inside the door, eying me cautiously. "But I need to look after you, for my Maker."

Well, this was a slightly amusing turn of events. I was worried about leaving him without supervision – because he was amnesiac and _Eric_ – but it seemed he thought of himself as the babysitter as well.

"Your Son is being awkward again," I said in a light tone to Godric, eying Eric for a reaction. A hurt look crossed his features, and I smirked. "He thinks I need to be checked in on to not get myself into trouble."

"_My Son is more than likely right,"_ was Godric's dry – and insulting – reply. I huffed in return.

"You are both awkward," I offered. "Do you want to speak to him?" Without waiting for a reply I handed the phone out to Eric, wiggling my wrist. "Come say hi to your Da…" I just couldn't get myself to finish that. "Your Maker."

He zipped to my side and grabbed the phone, gingerly lifting it to his ear. "Master?"

The phone conversation between the two was incredibly short. In fact, all that was said on Eric's end was a mumbled "Yes, master," before he hung up, handing me the phone.

"Well, that was a little on the cold side," I teased, cocking my head as I looked up at his tall figure.

"I do not know anything about him." The Viking glanced at my face. "Only that he is my Maker and he must be a good person since you love him. How am I to have a conversation with a stranger?"

Poor guy – he really was all alone in the world. "He loves you very much. He once told me that the best thing about his immortal life is you. And that you are the reason he became the kind person he is today." The last bit was maybe slightly paraphrased, but true nonetheless.

A ghost of a smile touched his handsome face. "I wish I remembered him. I can feel him through… the bond, and it is strange. Like having a stranger inside."

"Well… how about I tell you a little bit about him, then? And about what he has told me of your life with him?" I offered.

"I would like that. Could we go for a walk as well?" He said, eyes lighting up hopefully.

I mulled that one over, wishing there was such a thing as a vampire-leash, but finally reaching the conclusion that we'd all probably be better off if he wasn't cooped up in the house every night. "Okay. But you have to promise to not run off on me or I'll call Godric and tell on you," I threatened, realising that there was very little I could do if he decided to take off.

"I would never leave you unprotected," he said with a face so serious that all I could do was shake my head and grab his big hand, pulling myself off the bed.

"Fine. Let's get a quick snack and get going then."

I caught his wistful glance at my neck out the corner of my eye and sent him a glare, letting go of his hand. "Don't even think about it!"

Eric let out a suffering sigh. "I am really not sure that Sookie was right when she said I used to live purely off TruBlood before I lost my memory," he muttered.

I was fairly sure she wasn't right about that at all, but I couldn't exactly blame the girl for her attempt at keeping her vampire houseguest on the straight and narrow. "Yeah well, she knows better than either of us. Besides, we can't exactly get a donor out when your presence here is meant to be a secret, and you _do_ remember Godric telling you not to harm either of us?"

We'd made it into the kitchen and I made a point out of getting his bottled blood in the microwave before starting on my own sandwich.

"It wouldn't have to hurt," he pointed out. "I could easily do it without harming you."

This conversation was beginning to creep me out, so I threw the Maker card. Again. It was handy.

"I am Godric's. I doubt he would like you snacking on me."

The blonde huffed. "Does Sookie belong to anyone?"

I rounded on him, narrowing my eyes. "Get those thoughts s_traight_ out of your head, mister! She is our host, not your buffet! Besides, have you already forgotten the dream you had about _draining_ her?"

His eyes slid to the floor. "No."

"Then stop talking like this and drink your TruBlood." I pulled the bottle out of the oven and placed it in front of him with a small snap.

We sat at the table in silence while I ate my sandwich and he sipped his synthetic blood and looked guilty.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, looking up at me. "I didn't mean to be inappropriate."

"You're Eric Northman – you're always inappropriate," I sighed, smiling a little as I got up. "Come, let's go for that walk."

He followed me out the backdoor, blonde eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean that I am always inappropriate?"

Oh, where to start? "Wanna guess why I happen to have your blood in me, even though I belong to your Maker?"

"You were injured?" His voice was questioning; my sarcastic tone probably made him feel a little insecure.

"Nope." I steered us towards the woodland area at the back of Sookie's land. "You forced it in me so you could always find me and bring me back to your Maker if I ran away. He and I hadn't formed a blood-bond then, and I had… left him for a little while."

If he could have, he would have blanched. "I… _forced_ you?!"

"Yup. And you were enjoying it too." I dared a glance up at him and saw confusion and shame cross his features.

"I'm… sorry." It was little more than a whisper. "I… why are you helping me now? If I did this?"

Shrugging, I fell into a small path between the trees that meant he had to walk behind me instead of at my side for a short while. "You did it because you love Godric so much you were willing to endure his punishment to ensure that you could return his mate to him, even if he was not willing to force me into a blood-bond himself. We never got along before that either, to be honest, but it was because you were worried for him. And anyone who protects my… my mate this loyally, I will help if I can." I sent him a small smile. "Besides, it is sort of good to see you without all that ego and swagger. You're kind of… nice."

His blue eyes darted to me, searching my face. "I think you're nice, too."

My broad smile was involuntary. Amnesiac Eric was definitely adorable. "Thank you."

"Could we be friends?" His expression was now hopeful, and my heart wrenched in sympathy.

"You don't even have to ask, you silly Viking." I held out my hand for him, and he easily caught it, chuckling as it disappeared in his giant palm.

"You have small hands."

I scoffed. "I really don't – you're just a Nordic giant."

"Is that where I'm from?" he asked. "The Nordic countries?"

The next few hours was spent with me talking about the bits of information I knew about my lover's progeny. It was pretty scattered, but he seemed content listening to me prattle on. His hand never did let go of mine while we walked.

Finally, I glanced at the clock on my phone. "Eric, I need to be somewhere at midnight, so I have to go now. I need you to do something for me – I need you to promise that you will stay inside until I come home, and if anyone who is not Sookie comes in, it is important that you hide in your cubby and not come out."

His forehead wrinkled in dismay. "I am to keep you safe."

"I will be perfectly safe; as safe as if I was out during the day while you're asleep," I promised. "And this might help us get your memory back. It is important, or I wouldn't go."

"Can't I come?"

A small smile tugged at my lips at his reluctance to let me out of his sight – he really did see it as his job to look out for me. It was cute. "No honey, you can't. You have to stay here. I won't be long."

He looked thoroughly unhappy.

"I can take care of myself. Look." I summoned a small ball of fire and held it out to him. "No one will hurt me while I'm gone. Now, I really must go."

Eric stared at the fire until I banished it, eyes wide. "Magic," he whispered when it was gone.

"Yeah. I'm a witch."

His smile was surprising and almost childlike in excitement. "That's fantastic!"

I snorted, thinking about the general vampire-take on witches. "I'm glad you think so. Come, let us get you back to the house so I can hopefully go figure out how we can get your memory back."

He obeyed without further objections, but just as I was about to step out of the house again and go to my car, he stopped me by placing a big hand on the door I was trying to open. "If you are not back two hours before dawn I will hunt for you. My blood in you lets me sense you strongly enough that I can track your location close enough to catch your scent." The serious look in his blue orbs gave me a split-second sensation of having the old Eric back, but there was nothing menacing in his expression, simply concern.

I gave him a reassuring smile. "I will be back before then, Eric. Stay in the house." And then I eased his hand off the door and went on my way to meet the coven of witches that may or may not have taken away a thousand year old vampire's entire identity.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_The Marnie portrayed in this fic does not have much in common with the one in the show, apart from the name and of course being bat-shit crazy. _

_Also, I think I might have to throw in a bit of a weird __**warning:**__ Animal cruelty takes place in the first part of this chapter._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**24**

After meeting the covens in Kentucky and Dallas, a part of me had expected the Shreveport coven to be mainly made up of the same, pleasant type of people, their wicked-witch reputation and somewhat creepy leader aside. As it turned out, the Shreveport witches were… different.

It wasn't that a couple of people dressed completely in black and had been a little heavy-handed on the eyeliner (I was pretty used to that look from working at the New Age shop) or that a girl seemed to have brought in her pet-snake (stayed clear on the other side of the room from that one,) or even that the alter in the middle of the drawn-up circle had what appeared to be a human skull on it. No, what made me instantly aware that these people were not like the witches I'd previously met was the dark _sparks_ in the energy that lazily swirled around me when I stepped into the backroom of Marnie's little shop.

Godric's energy also felt dark, but its touch was like being brushed with soft velvet, and behind it was always this complete sense of _calm._ There was never any doubt that Godric had his power under full control at all times.

This energy… it made my own prickle uncomfortably, as if it was being prodded with a sharp stick, and it was evident that there was no one really in control of the power emanating from the gathered witches – they didn't even seem to be aware, or at least care, that they were_ leaking_ it into the air.

So this was what 'bad mojo' was like. I was starting to see what this Lafayette-type had been on about – and to consider that maybe I should have just dealt with Godric's anger and told him about my plan, because as sweet and helpful as Sookie was, she was maybe not the first choice in back-ups, and it dawned on me that she was the only one who knew where I was and what I was doing.

"Everyone, let's get started!" Marnie's voice broke through my dawning realisation that if this went south I was royally screwed.

The gathered people – there were fourteen in total, including myself – started to gravitate towards the centre of the room, forming a loose circle around the skull-decorated alter. I followed, once again making sure to put plenty of space between myself and snake-girl, ending up between a short girl with black hair and black makeup (and black thoughts, if the look she gave me was anything to go by) and a guy of about my height with golden-brown hair and glasses, who didn't take his eyes off Marnie.

The coven leader cast a glance round the circle, finally resting her eyes on me. I suppressed a shudder of discomfort at the attention.

"We have a new face with us tonight. Sophie has recently moved here from Kentucky and is looking for a new coven to join. I have invited her here tonight so she can get a sense of our style…"

There was a hushed whispering running around the circle, eyes falling on me like I was not to be trusted in their sacred space – which I suppose I technically wasn't, but it was still unpleasant to be stared at like that, especially by a group of witches with dark power swirling around them.

"Hush now," Marnie smirked as she looked unblinkingly at me. "Sophie is no stranger to our ways, are you, child?"

_?!_ "Uhh?"

"Your power has been unlocked with vampire blood, has it not?"

Oh. _Oh!_ They used vampire blood? I pushed that bit of information down for later musings and nodded. "It was, yes."

"So you have no objections to spilling their blood, right?" Her eyes bored into mine, challenging me.

Shrugging, I squared my shoulders, rising to it. Of course I would have to prove myself. "Why would I? It's not like they're human… or even alive. I eat meat, and I care more for the lives of cows than I do those monsters."

The small, black-haired girl next to me sent me what could have been the beginning of a smile. The murmur that went around the circle this time was somewhat more appreciative.

"I told you she was one of us," Marnie smiled to the rest of the group. "I think you will like it here." She nodded to the snake-girl, who stepped into the circle that closed behind her, lifting up the snake that had been resting around her shoulders and placed it on the alter.

I couldn't help but stiffen up as the reptile lifted its head, smelling the air. But when the girl suddenly grabbed a knife and plunged it into its body, the two witches next to me grabbed my hands before I managed a shriek of surprise, and a dark surge of _power_ shot through my body, forcing my own to flow out into the circle.

The snake, now writhing and hissing in pain, nailed to the wooden alter, sounded too much like a vampire did when wrapped in silver for my liking, and while it was difficult to focus on much other than the way the foreign, dark power was seeping into my mind and body, forcing me open no matter how hard I tried to shut my energy off from the intrusion, the image of the girl grabbing the snake by the neck and ripping out its fangs with a small set of tongs would be forever ingrained into my mind.

I didn't like snakes – at all - but the pain that animal went through before it finally died from blood loss, surrounded by the witches and Marnie's chanting I wouldn't have wished on even the cruellest person in the universe.

As it died, the energy in the room did too, and my hands were released from the circle as people took a bit of a breather.

"It's always a bit shocking the first few times."

I jumped as the girl next to me spoke, giving me a small smile. "Just relax into it, it'll be much easier."

I have no idea how I managed to offer her a smile back and nod – I felt violated, exhausted and pretty distraught about the poor snake. But I also had a job to do, and if Eric had been in the hands of these psychos I needed to find out.

Speaking of psychos… Marnie was making her way towards me, a small smile on her lips.

"You're doing great," she stated when she reached my side. "Your energy is so… distilled. The blood you had must have been from a very old vampire."

The glowing look in her eyes made me realise, without a shadow of a doubt, that this woman was insane. And if the whole snake-incident hadn't been an indicator, my sixth sense now screamed it too loudly for me to ignore: she was dangerous. Very, very dangerous.

All I wanted to do was turn around and sprint away from this shop, go back to Dallas and forget all about this night, but I couldn't – and if I dropped the ball on my acting-like-an-excited disciple now, I wasn't sure I would like the outcome. So I managed a smile at her, too. "I have no idea, to be honest Marnie. I didn't ask his age before we drained him. But I had a lot of his blood."

She nodded seriously, as if mentioning that you'd drained a vampire was just peachy. I suppose it was, in many witches' eyes. But still.

"Well, be prepared for the next round – it should be very interesting."

My brows furrowed, and I made a vague hand gesture towards the snake. "What, er, is this all about? I've never seen… animal sacrifice before."

The witch rolled her shoulders as if she was in between boxing matches, loosening knots in her shoulders while she contemplated the dead serpent. "The demon has all days been portrayed as a snake – symbolism is strong when dealing with magic. We took his teeth – and now we will be able to control other demons' bite with them. You will see when we start again."

"Have you… done this before?" I attempted at looking excited rather than horrified, and must have succeeded, because Marnie's face turned smug.

"We have, but only one at a time. This time… this time it will be of an entirely different magnitude. Tomorrow should make quite the news story!"

My eyebrows rose in question, but she only winked at me, indicating patience as she stepped over to talk to some of the other circle members.

Whatever was to come next I was pretty sure I'd rather not watch.

* * *

As it turned out, just watching would have been preferable. When the circle was formed once again, my hands were easily snatched up, linking in with the dark energy that once again forced its way into me to press my own power out and mix with the force Marnie was pulling from the circle.

And then the guy who'd been standing next to me before, along with two other witches from the group, came out from a room with a chained vampire each, prodding them to walk with silver-tipped, wooden stakes.

Oh, this was going to get _really_ ugly! I quickly scanned my mind for any way I could help them, or stop whatever was going to happen, but the strength of the power cursing through me made me realise that if I made any move against the witches… well, I didn't want to think of the consequences.  
I should so have told Godric what I was doing tonight.

As the vampires were led into the circle and held to the floor with silver chains the drain on my power started to feel physical – my body was starting to shake slightly, as if it was on a really bad sugar crash, and my knees felt weak. A quick glance around and I could see others starting to show signs of fatigue.

Marnie stepped into the circle and bent over the hissing and snarling vampires, quickly stabbing all three with the snake-fangs. I could _see_ the energy from the air filling the three vampires through the quickly-healing wounds, causing their eyes to glaze over.

"Ashes to ashes," the coven leader muttered, pausing as the circle echoed her chant. "As your bones obey, your brethren's must too. So be it."

The chant was repeated over and over as Marnie kept slicing and piercing their skin with the snake fangs, letting the dark power in the room slip into their bodies.

I don't know when the tears broke through and started trickling down my cheeks; I was too exhausted to even notice before my hands were released and the swirling power died down, releasing its hold on my energy. I quickly wiped off my face, playing it off as sheer fatigue (which wasn't hard as I was swaying to keep upright).

The short, black haired girl looked nearly as tired as I, though her eyes shone with excitement. "Wasn't that the greatest rush?" she asked, seeming to have forgotten her sullen attitude towards me when I first arrived. Apparently, being mind-raped by the same, dark magic was a test of sisterhood.

"Uhhu." I didn't manage a smile this time, but automatically clutched on to the cookie that was thrust into my hand by a middle-aged man who seemed to be handing out refreshments to everyone.

The girl bit into her cookie. "I'm Raven. You should eat that – when we do this powerful magic it drains on our life force; the drawback to having been opened with vampire blood. All the energy just slips out so easily."

I obeyed, sighing as the sugary snack touched my tongue; they might be scary-arse-witches, but they made some mean chocolate chip cookies. "Is this… normal?" I asked her, voice a little raw. "This amount of magic?"

She smiled a little bigger. "No, not this big. But ever since we had the blood we've been practicing stronger and stronger magic. And the vampires…" She lowered her voice and glanced at the three quietly sizzling undead in the middle of the room that everyone seemed to have forgotten completely about as they just laid there, empty-eyed and quiet. "That is new too. We did this big, blonde one a few days back, and then a brunette one yesterday."

Despite my exhaustion my interest peaked. "Did you do the same to them as we did to these tonight?"

Raven shook her head. "No, we…" She giggled. "God, the first one was such an arrogant prick, even silvered. It was so much fun to see pure fear when the magic entered him. Dirty monster."

I have no idea how I managed to make my lips quirk upwards; a wave of nausea rolled in my stomach at the thought of Eric – Eric as he was now, with his nightmares and fright of the darkness and lost eyes – in the hands of these horrible people, and if I had had the physical strength I think I might have screamed at the smile she wore from causing the Viking such terror.

"Raven, I'm really beat," I managed to whisper. "Do you think Marnie would mind if I snuck home now?"

The small girl gave my shoulder a sympathetic squeeze – and I grit my teeth to endure her touch. "No, not at all. It's all done for the night anyway, and this being your first time and all! You must be so swamped with impressions!"

No kidding.

"Will we see you again?"

Not a snowball's chance in hell.

"Oh yes, I am so hooked! I can't believe the amount of power… when is the next meeting?"

"Well, we'll have three days' rest before we do magic again so no one drops dead… But I'm sure there will be a get-together tomorrow evening to…evaluate the effects." She winked impishly, but I was literally at the very end of my rope trying to hold it together, so I just muttered what I hoped was a somewhat cheerful "well, see you!" and stumbled towards the exit, barely remembering to pick up my purse on the way.

My legs were thoroughly shaking when I made it to my car, and all I wanted to do was lean against it and have a nervous break down – in fact, that sounded quite good right about now – but the thought of being so vulnerable and risk any of them walking out and finding me that way made me unlock the driver's side door, get in, slide the key into the ignition and somehow make my body cooperate enough to get the car pulled out on the road and headed towards Bon Temps.

I made it out into the deserted country roads without falling apart, but when the headlights of my car suddenly fell on a tall, pale figure in the middle of the road and I had to slam the brakes to not run into him, my resolve snapped, and I just sat there, hands locked around the steering wheel with tears running down my face.

Eric ripped open the door on my side and yanked on my shoulders until the rather painful experience made me come to enough to unbuckle the seatbelt, and then I was pulled out of the car and placed on the road, blue eyes scanning me worriedly while his big hands spun me around like I was a doll.

"I'm not hurt, Eric," I mumbled as the not-particularly-gentle handling started to make me dizzy. "And what are you doing out here?" What _was_ he doing here?! It was not close to the 'curfew' he'd given me, and having the amnesic vampire running around this close to the coven that had hurt him was just an all-time bad idea.

I pulled back from his grip and wiped tears off my face before I grabbed his hand and tried to pull him towards the car. "Come, we need to get you home. Now."

He didn't budge, spinning me back around again to stare at my face. "You are crying. And I… _felt_… panic. Fear. And… I think you were dying!" His eyes went big at that.

Oh right, so our blood-bond must still be strong enough for my more powerful emotions to get through. That realisation made me think of Godric, and I paled significantly. If Eric had felt my fears strongly enough to have come running, my ancient lover would probably be tearing down Dallas at this very moment. "I was really scared, and I still am, so can we please go home now? I need to talk to Godric."

The mention of his Maker made him move, and I got him shoved into the passenger seat before climbing in myself and starting up the engine again. And as I started driving, I pulled out my phone that had been on silent during my time with the coven, and noticed thirty two unanswered calls from the same number Godric had called from earlier that evening – Isabel's phone. I quickly pressed 'call back' and put my phone on speaker, placing it on the dashboard.

It was answered on the first ring.

"_Sophie, are you safe?"_

I sniffled at the sound of his voice and desperate concern. "Y-yeah. I'm on my way home now. With Eric, he came…"

One, deep sigh of relief. And then my mate's voice changed completely – and not for the better. _"What were you thinking?! I had no idea what you were doing that was causing such emotions, no way of reaching you… You were meant to stay in, stay safe!"_

"Please don't yell at me." It was a pathetic whimper – even I was aware of this – but on top of everything else this evening I just couldn't face Godric's wrath. "I know I shouldn't have kept you in the dark and I'm sorry."

Tears started to blur my vision and I quickly wiped at them so I wouldn't end up crashing the car – which would just have been a perfect end to the night.

I could actually _hear_ him gritting his teeth through the phone as he struggled to rein in his temper. _"What. Happened?"_ he finally managed, iron control clear in his voice.

"I… I found out who took Eric's memories. It's a coven of witches in Shreveport."

"_You did not. Sophie… You did _not _go to a coven of witches practicing necromancy. Please. Tell me you did not."_

"Is that what it is?" I whispered. "Necromancy?"

Deep, unnecessary breathing was all that came through the line for a few moments.

"He's _very_ angry," Eric whispered helpfully next to me, eyes big and hand pressed against his chest where I assumed the Maker-Progeny bond was pulling at him.

"I know, honey," I muttered back, reaching over to give his leg a quick, reassuring pat. "It's not at you, it's at me."

"_Eric,"_ Godric's voice suddenly snapped through the phone, and I saw the tall vampire flinch out of the corner of my eye. _"You are to keep Sophie at your side at all times. She does not leave the house and she will sleep in your arms during the day – Do. Not. Let. Her. Leave. Is that clear?"_

"Yes, Master," Eric mumbled, casting me an apologetic glance.

Normally, I would have thrown a complete fit over being treated like a naughty pet, but after what I'd just been through, the thought of sticking like glue to Eric was rather appealing. I'd have preferred to spend my days in the arms of his very-pissed-off Maker, but any feeling of safety and closeness would do. I was too drained to even think of the insanity in the fact that I could get this from Eric.

My acceptance – and broken spirit – must have come across the bond, because when he spoke again his voice was gentler. _"What did you learn tonight, my light?"_

"Apart from that I never want to have anything to do with magic ever again? Godric, they're… they're doing something really, really bad. And they did use vampire blood to unlock more power, but I don't know how they got a hold of it. And they'd all used it… they are so very, very strong." I shuddered at the memory of the collective power seeping into my mind. "Eric was the first vampire they used magic on, then there was another one, and tonight… they did a group. And I think they have something big planned for tomorrow." I told him in details what had happened during the ritual, and what Marnie and Raven had told me.

A string of words in a foreign language followed. From the surprised look on Eric's face, he'd understood them.

"Godric?" I broke through the sudden silence that followed.

"_If I am right, they will be trying to recreate a favourite trick from the Witch Wars, taking control of all vampires within their reach and making them walk out into the sun during the day. We cannot keep this from the king of Louisiana any longer. I will call Pamela and ask that she bring silver chains to Ms Stackhouse's residence. Before dawn breaks Sophie, you will need to silver Eric. Make sure he cannot get up no matter how hard he tries. Eric, you will have to let her. Do not remove the chains before nightfall. I will come to Louisiana tomorrow night, and we will deal with these witches – hopefully with the king's help."_

It's hard to say who of Eric and I were the most shocked at those news.

"Godric, I…"

"_I have to go now, little one. I need to call the king and Pamela at once. I will see you tomorrow night._ _Stay safe."_ And then he hung up, and Eric and I were left alone with what I was fairly sure was shared fear, at least if the hand the Viking snuck over to clasp onto my knee was anything to go by.

* * *

Sookie was still up when we pulled into her driveway, the warm light shining through the windows of the farmhouse speaking clearly of her care that we were safe as surely as her worried face popping out of the screen door as she heard the engine stop.

"What happened?" she asked, holding the door open for us as we made it out the car and up the steps. "Eric suddenly got all panicky and said you were dying before blasting out of here as if all hell's hounds were at his heels!"

"Witches happened. Your friend was not wrong when he said they're seriously bad mojo. I wasn't dying, I was just…" I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself at the memory of having my energy forced from my mind and body. "It got really intense."

My voice was a mousy squeak, causing her to frown.

"You look like you've been dragged through a thorn hedge backwards. Come, sit down and I'll get us some iced tea."

She disappeared into the kitchen, and I followed Eric into the living room, hand safely clasped in his. I don't recall who of us reached for the other's hand for support, but when we sat down on the couch I was the one to climb onto his lap and bury my face in his shoulder, completely giving up on holding myself together.

Strong arms hesitantly wrapped around me as I started bawling from shock and exhaustion and fear, and when Sookie came in the tall blonde's cheek was gently pressed against the top of my head as a big hand awkwardly stroked down my back.

"Oh, honey," she cooed, placing the sweet tea down on the small coffee table. "That bad, huh?"

Yeah, I was not born to be a super spy, that much was clear. Between spurts of tears I managed to explain the gest of what had happened – and what Godric feared would happen the next day, and she paled appropriately at the prospect of mass-vampire murder and black magic in those quantities. And then she offered to help, in any way she could.

Just then, Pam showed up, rushing in the door without as much as a knock.

Eric didn't spring up in a defensive crouch this time, probably because he'd been able to feel her draw closer and now realised that she was his progeny, but he did scowl at her disgusted stare when she caught sight of my pathetic form on his lap.

"Oh, come on!" she snorted, dropping a big bag on the floor with a decisive _clunk._ "Eric, you _hate_ emotional females!"

I was clutched a little closer. "I don't hate Sophie - she is my friend."

Pam's blue eyes rolled once at her master's genuine tone. "God, I hope you remember this when you regain your marbles," she muttered, before shoving the bag lightly with her expensive-looking heels. "You will need to use _all_ these chains on him. Keep my Maker safe, breathers." And then she _wooshed_ out of there, probably to not gag over the sight of me cuddled up with her beloved, ruthless Viking.

"Pam's such a dear," Sookie sighed, and I managed my first, real smile of the evening, though it was still pretty watery and weak.

We sat in silence while my eyelids grew heavy, the comfort of being wrapped up in Eric's protective embrace finally allowing my mind to relax. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd feel safe clutched against Eric's chest, but there was something about the knowledge that he needed the closeness as much as I did in that moment that made me comfortable enough to willingly take the security he offered; I didn't even care that his fangs had popped out at the scent of my tears.

Eventually, I fell asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note/ Ratings Warning:**

_Graphic, mature contents ahead. Sorry?_

* * *

xXx

* * *

**25**

Eric woke me up by repeating my name and tugging on the arm I had wrapped around his shoulder while I slept.

I didn't want to wake – I'd thought I might dream of evil witches and dying snakes, but as it turned out, my sleep once again provided me with a lovely dream of Godric, though it was less sexual in nature than usual and probably brought on by being held safely against a strong, cool body all night.

But reality – and a persistent, pesky vampire – was calling, so I reluctantly peeled my eyelids open. "What?"

"It's almost dawn – I can feel it pulling." He stared down into my eyes, blonde brows furrowed. "You have to silver me."

Reality was a bitch.

Nodding groggily I sat up and scooted off his lap so I could regain my bearings, eyes landing on the bag of chains that was still on the floor.

It was funny, really. A few months ago the chance to silver Eric would frankly have made me quite excited. Now… I glanced at his blue eyes that were trustingly resting on my sleepy face. Now I was pretty sure it would feel like purposely hurting a friend. And a close one at that.

"Ok, let's get this over with." I got up and made it over to the bag, bending down to pick it up. However, all that happened was that my back cracked unpleasantly and I grunted in an unfeminine manner. The bag stayed put.

Just how many chains were in there?

I jolted as Eric appeared by my side, easily lifting up the bag. "If you were a vampire," he noted as I trudged over to the cupboard hiding his cubby, "you would be much stronger."

"And I would also spend my day chained in silver," I pointed out as I climbed down the ladder.

He jumped past me, landing on the floor and quickly reaching up to lift me the rest of the way down. "As soon as we have killed the enemy that will no longer be necessary."

I shuddered at the ferocious gleam in his eyes – the warrior in him had certainly not been obliterated by the witches' magic. "So you think that I should give up on sunlight so I can carry heavy bags easier, huh?"

The blonde shrugged, laying down on the bed with his arms along his sides. "You would also live forever; I think my Maker would want that. And you would be my sister."

Well, wasn't that sweet – the big Viking vampire was welcoming me into the family. I bent down to get out the chains and gaped at the amount of silver in the bag. Clearly, Eric was _strong._

"Yeah well, if I stay human I get to be your stepmother instead," I sighed as I got out one of the chains and went over to the bed. "And that just packs more authority than being your baby sis. Hold still hun, this will hurt."

The next few minutes were not fun for either of us, though my discomfort over having to hurt Eric clearly paled in comparison to the agony he went through as silver was wrapped over his strong body and finally neck.

"I'm so sorry," I mumbled when it was finally all in place. Of its own accord my hand came up to stroke over his golden hair in an attempt at soothing away some of the pain.

He grunted in response, rolling his eyes up to catch mine. "Not your fault. Sophie… please don't leave."

My forehead furrowed. "Of course not – I'm not leaving you alone like this."

"No, I… Godric told me to keep a hold of you during the daytime, but I… I think I might hurt you if I flinch from the silver."

Oh, wow. Amnesiac Eric would actually defy a direct order from his Maker to not risk harming _me._ However much he needed to get his memory back I was going to miss the person he had been for the past few days when he did.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, and I realised I had been.

"I'm just going to miss you, is all. You know, when you get your old personality back." I patted his hand gently as to not disturb the welts caused by the silver. "I like having you as my friend; it feels right."

"We will still be friends," he promised, a bit of panic showing through the pained expression in his eyes. "Why wouldn't we? I will still remember this."

I chuckled as I glanced over his silver-covered body. "What, me wrapping you up in silver and crying over you when you can't get away? I think I'd rather you forget – the 'other' Eric is not going to be best pleased."

"I will remember you being there for me when I was scared and alone," he said softly. "Even though I've wronged you before. I will remember your kind heart."

It was so very, very strange to hear such words slip past Eric Northman's decadent lips.

I gently patted his cheek. "'I'm pretty sure your other self does not appreciate a kind heart, Sweety. I think you might drink from kind hearts as if they were Sippy cups, if I'm quite honest. But we'll see, right?" The last bit was added because the hurt in his eyes was tugging at whatever had made me start sniffling in the first place; I was pretty sure that there was no room for this person when the old Eric made a sweeping return.

Current-Eric sighed and let his eyes find the ceiling instead of my watery face. "You will see – I will remember," he mumbled. "And I could never hurt you."

We sat – or in Eric's case laid – in silence for a while, the only sounds being my breathing and the quiet sizzle of Eric's flesh, until he asked me to tell him a story. So I told him a story Godric had told me about when he an Eric had dressed up for some European king's court, and all the ladies had swooned at the sight of the tall Viking, which had led to a pretty jealous king and the two vampires having to hightail it through the woods with an entire hunting party after them.

"But we are vampires – why didn't we kill them?" he asked, after chuckling at my description of what I imagined Godric's exasperated face would have been like while running through a muddy forest in silk socks and a wig because his progeny was such a flirt.

"You were trying to stay hidden, then. I'm told you've slain armies together during the centuries, but if you take down a king and his entire court, there would be a worldwide uproar, even in those days, and vampires might have been at risk of exposure." I snorted. "And back then they didn't have TruBlood."

"Tell me how you came to meet my Maker?" he asked then, and I complied. Then I told him how we fell in love, because he asked, and even about when I left for Kentucky and why, though leaving out the details about Marcus. And then I told him about when he came to fetch me home.

His brows were thoughtfully furrowed after that. "So you are certain you want to be with my Maker always, now?"

An involuntary smile crossed my lips. "Yeah. I'm not scared anymore."

"Then why not become a vampire?"

Back to this again, then. I shot him a glare. "I don't want to be immortal. I want to grow old and die and be reincarnated, find him again and do it all over."

"But then we would lose you over and over," he stated, blue eyes flashing with discontent. "And how do you know you would find him again? It took you two thousand years to find him the first time."

I shrugged, a little uncomfortable with the whole 'lose you over and over' part – I didn't relish in the thought of causing Godric pain like that. "He would likely have killed me before realising I was meant to be his mate if I had met him sooner. He was a ferocious vampire for many centuries." The thought that we might actually have met and he _had_ killed me was new and disturbing.

"And what does he say about this?" Eric questioned me, an unhappy note and something rather _Eric_ clear in his voice.

"He agrees. He doesn't want me to be vampire."

"He lies," was the immediate response.

I blinked. "Beg your pardon?"

Blue eyes pierced me. "I felt his desperation when he thought you were dying; he is not at peace with your mortality. If he has said he is okay with this reincarnation plan of yours, he lies. To you or to himself, I do not know."

I gave him a good prod on a chain-free part of his chest. "Now you shush, mister. This is not your concern. Godric and I have talked this through, and I know that he isn't lying. Sure, the dying part sucks – a lot. But we are both at peace with it… though obviously, I need to actually live a full, human life so we can… get used to the idea."

His lips pinched and he looked like he wanted to say something else on the subject, but just then an uncomfortable prickle in my subconscious made me gasp – and then Eric's eyes glazed over as he convulsed, straining up against the chains.

"Eric!" I placed my hand on his forehead, getting up from my spot on the bed next to his pillow. "What's happening?"

"Sun," he groaned. "I need... the sun!"

Oh, dear Goddess. The spell. Godric had been right.

I knelt back on the bed and gently grasped his face between my hands, peering into his wild eyes. "Eric, listen to me, you can fight this." I silently prayed that the chains would hold him. "Stay here with me."

I saw a flicker of recognition in his orbs through the spell's effect, and he roared as he fought against it. But it still pulled mercilessly on his body, and all I could do was whisper soothing things to him while the chains dug bone-deep.

Sookie came down at some point, summoned by the Viking's shouts, her eyes wide. "It's the spell?" she asked.

"Yeah. Could you get us some TruBlood please? For when it's over? He will need to heal." I quickly wiped away the tears that clung to my eyelashes, swearing revenge on Marnie for this. Vampires were certainly not a bunch of saints, and Eric hadn't been a gentle soul, but in my book there was no excuse for this; whatever he was and whatever he had done, he was my friend, my mate's Child, and she was trying to kill him.

Twenty minutes later, as swiftly as it had set in the spell released its hold in the vampire, leaving him to sag down against the bed, breathing deeply through pained groans.

I quickly unscrewed a bottle of synthetic blood and held it against his lips, and he gulped it down, hissing as his flesh began healing and pushing on the chains.

"Another?" I asked when he'd emptied the first.

"There's no point," he sighed, pain still evident in his voice. "The silver will just burn through my skin again. How long until sunset?"

I glanced at the clock n my phone. "Six more hours, hun."

Eric muttered something in another language. If he mentioned witches I was pretty sure it wasn't anything nice.

But there were no more attempts at raising the undead into the sun, and I spent the time telling the Viking more stories, most of them movie plots (I even put him through a rendition of Vampire Diaries that had him laughing in spite of the pain) until finally my phone bipped, signalling that dusk had come.

"Freedom awaits, Great one!" I smiled, carefully lifting off the silver from around his neck.

He sighed in relief, despite the chunks of flesh I pulled off, but when Sookie climbed down the ladder to help, he stiffened, nostrils twitching. "No, you can't be here!"

We both stared at him.

"I-I'm sorry, but you smell too good," he whispered, looking an interesting mix of ashamed and predatory.

Oh. She really hadn't been kidding when she said she smelled appealing to them, then.

"Oh. Right," the small blonde squeaked. "I'll just… go upstairs then." She quickly disappeared again.

I glanced nervously at the vampire. "Er… will you be alright with my scent?"

"As long as I have TruBlood right away," he promised, and I continued unwinding the many chains from his marred body.

It took three TruBloods for Eric to stop casting hungry glances at my neck and wrists, and I made him sip on a fourth just to feel more safe as we climbed back up to re-join a still-anxious Sookie.

"It's alright, I've fed the beast," I joked, feeling mighty relieved that the long day was over, momentarily ignoring that we had an equally long night ahead of us. "Eric, why don't you go grab a shower and get all the… blood and stuff washed off?"

The tall Viking paused, glancing at me. "You should come."

…

"Uh..?"

"Godric said to keep you at my side at all times."

It really wasn't on purpose – my brain just went there on its own, but somehow the image of being at Eric's wet, naked side in the shower popped into my head, and I blushed profusely, causing Sookie to snicker from the other side of the room.

"How about I just wait outside the door, and then we can swap when you're done?"

He shrugged, obviously deeming me weird for not just doubling up on the shower time, and I slunk after him up the stairs trying desperately not to look at his arse in front of me.

* * *

We had both showered, dressed and ventured back downstairs, and I had eaten a sturdy dinner that Sookie had spent a few hours preparing when Eric suddenly went rigid, head snapping towards the door.

My heart skipped a beat in fright before he kindly explained: "My Maker is almost here – I can feel him."

The beating of my heart instantly restarted, this time in overdrive, and I jumped up.

Finally, _finally!_

Without caring how pathetic I probably came across I sprinted out the door and onto the porch, squinting into the dark to catch sight of him.

And just then he landed easily next to my rental car, shadowed eyes focused on my form.

"Sophie." His smooth voice reached me like a dark caress.

"Godric!" I ran to him and leapt into his arms, wrapping my long legs around his hips before planting a thorough kiss on his full lips. Goddess, he was a sight for sore eyes! My inner feminist would normally have writhed in shame, but after the horrors I'd experienced at the witch coven there was not a single part of me that didn't desperately need him to step in and handle the situation. I really did trust that there was not a single thing in this world my powerful lover couldn't take care of; he was here now, and everything would get solved somehow.

His arms tightened around my back and he returned the kiss, but it was short and he soon pried my legs off his hips and lowered my feet to the ground, pulling his head back from my eager lips.

I pouted at him – and paused at the look in his eyes. The night was very dark, but the amount of vampire blood I'd had over the past few months allowed me to easily pick up on the complete blackness that was staring back at me.

_O-oh_, Godric was still _very _angry.

"Hun?" My voice broke a little. It's not that I was frightened for my safety – I trusted him completely not to harm me in any way – but it is rather impossible not to have a small bit of primal instincts kick in when a 2000 year old, powerful predator is staring at you like you've personally offended it.

And then his hand snatched my jaw in a firm grip, pressing my head backwards while the other on my hip kept the rest of my body in place so my throat was exposed to him. I croaked in surprise.

"Submit." It was a low hiss that made goosebumps appear on my exposed skin – and a tingling sensation reach the centre of my body.

Godric being dominant was not exactly an unusual occurrence in our love life, but I really didn't think that right now was the time for those activities, with Sookie and Eric waiting inside, and the freaking vampire King of the state expecting us. "Sweety, maybe now is not the…" I stopped speaking when his hand constricted ever so slightly around the top of my throat, the pressure on my neck beginning to border on the painful.

"Submit. Now." His voice was dark and dangerous, and something stupidly primitive in my brain responded nicely as my body went lax in his grip.

The low growl emitting from his chest caused equal amounts of adrenaline and arousal to spike in my blood, which was fortunate as it made the experience of him grabbing my hair and ripping my head to the side before he buried his fangs in my neck more erotic than painful.

I whimpered in surrender as he drank my blood, but as always he only took a few mouthfuls – not enough to weaken me, but certainly enough to prove his point… and to spark his other, primal urges. As his tongue slid over the marks on my neck to start the healing of my flesh cool hands pushed up the skirt of my summer dress and pulled my panties to the side, fingers testing my folds.

The next second I was face-down on the rental car's bonnet, balancing with my legs spread wide. A yelp escaped me when he roughly drove into me before he clamped a hand over my mouth, the other resting heavily on the back of my neck, keeping me pressed down.

"You tell me I need to remember I am in a relationship with a human," Godric growled into my ear. "It occurs to me, you need to be reminded that you are mated to a vampire. Maybe I have treated you too gently…"

I screamed into his hand as he used his vampire speed to move within me, my flailing arms trashing wildly against the car until the friction alone sent me into that desperate climb towards release and my hands gripped frantically for purpose before my entire body convulsed underneath him in a climax that made it blacken for my eyes for a few seconds.

The vampire stilled his hips and removed his hand from my mouth so I could gulp down enough oxygen to not pass out.

"How many times have I told you to stay out of danger?" His voice was still dark velvet, anger lacing its smooth caress.

"I'm sorry," I gasped. "Godric, I'm truly sorry."

He ignored me as his hands found the round swell of my hips and he once again started moving, though at human pace this time. "Yet it always seems that you run head-first into any dangerous situation you can find, ignoring my warnings, ignoring how _far_ I have stretched my nature to accommodate your human notions of independence."

I grunted as he thrust harder, my nails scraping against the paintwork. I was so not getting the deposit back from the rental company. Not that it mattered much – when Godric was claiming me like this nothing mattered at all, save him and the pleasure. I'm not sure if he truly was trying to punish me or if he was just working out his anger, but if it was the former then he was failing miserably.

"Sophie." His cool breath ghosted over my neck, raising goosebumps in its wake. "You ask if I see myself as your father… do you see yourself as my daughter?"

Well, that was a bit of a loaded question, seeing as he currently had me bent over a car, fucking the absolute living daylights out of me. "N-no." There was no point in being snarky – and I also lacked sufficient blood flow to my brain to achieve it at that current point in time.

Fingers dug into my hips as the pace increased and my hands scrambled down to ease the grip, only to be caught and pressed up behind my back, keeping me perfectly fixated. "Then why do you behave like a disobedient child, sneaking behind my back to get your way? I know you are young, and I have been patient… but if I cannot trust you to discuss with me decisions that affect us both – and my _Child_ – then perhaps I shall also stop acting as if we are in an equal partnership. Do not fool yourself, little mate, we are equals only because I allow it!"

Normally, his brazen statement and harsh words would have infuriated me beyond belief, but apart from my temper being dampened by the guilt and regret I had from going to that coven the previous night, his words were followed by another slip into vampire speed, causing all my attention to centre on the merciless ravaging of my body.

My screams were once again quickly silenced by his hand, the other easily keeping both my arms twisted up behind my back so efficiently that my spasms of pleasure were contained to wildly bucking my hips against him while he drove me over the edge three times in quick succession. Godric only slowed down when a groan escaped his lips as his essence filled me.

"Missed you," I broke the silence by mumbling after he released my mouth and arms and leaned in over me, a hand on each side of my shoulders and his still-hard length buried to the hilt in me.

Soft kisses fell on my shoulder blades and then the cheek that wasn't pressed against the car. "Love you," he murmured. "So much that it aches."

A smile slipped onto my face as I sighed from the mental pleasure his presence and words caused. "Are you still angry?"

I felt a shift in weight, and then he slowly pulled out of me, righting himself next to the car. "A little less so, but yes. I will be angry for some time; you cannot understand the agony it was to feel your life essence drain from you through our bond."

Gingerly, I straightened up too before turning around and catching his hand. "You know I _am_ sorry, right? I never meant for things to go so far, but once I was there… I didn't have a choice, or they would have actually killed me." I shuddered at the thought.

"I know. And that is why you should have talked to me first – I could have warned you of the dangers a coven that practices necromancy presents. It is the darkest form of magic and it will twist the very souls of the ones practicing it." The disappointment over my lack of judgement made me look away from his still-dark eyes.

"I will not make a mistake like that again," I promised quietly. "But at least my stupidity yielded some valuable information. I better get a shower so we can go meet that king."

"A shower will not be necessary," was his short reply, the ring of command clear.

I dared a glance up at his face. "But everyone will be able to…." My protest died at his pointed look.

"Yes,"

I groaned in annoyance, but he simply watched me dispassionately as I cringed while pulling my slightly mangled underwear back where it belonged before straightening out my dress and running a hand through my tangled hair.

"So is this to establish your ownership of me more clearly for the king's benefit, or..?"

He stepped closer to my side, placing a peck on my lips before grabbing my elbow so he could lead me up to the house. "It is mostly to make my claim very clear at this king's court."

I let him guide me into the house without further comments.

Mostly. That meant part of it was my punishment for not letting him know what I was doing the other night, and I suppose it was fairly perfect; what better way to teach your strong-willed, independent partner a lesson than to mark her thoroughly as your pet? I sighed. I wasn't exactly fond of the concept, but I accepted it. I hadn't treated him as my equal partner when I went ahead and put myself – and Eric – at risk without consulting him, so now I got to feel what that was like in return, though without having to go through the fear he had experienced.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note:**

_To everyone who PM'ed me asking when I'd get around to updating, and whom I told that it was totally happening any day now – I obviously lied, and I'm sorry!  
Hopefully, the fact that this one is epic length and was an absolute war to write will make up for it just a little!_

* * *

xXx

* * *

**26**

Stepping back into the house was not an all-together pleasant experience, mainly because Pam had arrived while Godric and I had been… preoccupied, and judging from the smirk on her face she had probably heard or seen what had been going on on the hood of that poor car.

"Well, if you are done banging your human into submission Grand-maker, maybe we can go and see his Glorious Majesty and then kill some witches?" she asked, sending the marks on my neck a lingering look. "I find myself eager to have a taste."

So taking 'probably' out of the equation, then. I felt my face heat up to unprecedented degrees and quickly found something interesting to look at through the dark glass panel of the living room window.

"Will you need me to come along?"

Bless Sookie and her timely interruptions.

Eric frowned at the small woman and was probably about to voice some form of sexist protest about her frail physique, but Pam jumped at the offer like a hungry puma.

"They won't stand a chance if you'll be able to tell us their thoughts – Old Bill will just have to deal with you," she said cheerfully, motioning towards the door. "Let's go! Witches to kill, revenge to be had!" It was unnerving how chipper she sounded as soon as the prospect of bloody combat arose.

I glanced at Sookie to see how she was feeling about seeing who I assumed was the ex-boyfriend of hers she'd talked about in none-too-flattering terms back in Dallas. The small, normally bubbly blonde was a little pale-looking, but otherwise seemed determined enough. I offered her a small smile of encouragement and had a thought or two about her maybe holding hands with the Viking when we arrived, and I saw a smirk spread on her face when she picked up the images in my mind before she slid over next to Eric and offered her hand. He immediately took it, probably assuming she was scared and needed his protective presence. Oh, men.

* * *

As it turned out, the King of Louisiana was actually Sookie's neighbour, which made me a little nauseated when I thought about having taken Eric for walks in her woods, literally next door to the guy we'd been trying to hide him from. Evidently, King Bill was not the perpetrator (even Pam didn't think he hated Eric enough to sacrifice all his subjects to witches practising necromancy in order to get back at him) so Eric hadn't been in any real danger, but I still felt like the worst babysitter ever.

I glanced at Godric's still-as-a-mask face as he put me down after landing on the lawn in front of the stately house and decided that there was no need to bring that detail up anytime soon – at least not before I could walk without wincing again.

We were greeted by five guards with big guns (I assumed loaded with wooden bullets) aimed at us.

"I am Godric. His Majesty is expecting us," my mate said, authority lacing his soft voice to such an extent that I wasn't the least bit concerned about having an automated weapon pointed at me; whoever was stupid enough to consider firing at any of us would not have a trigger finger to follow through with, that much was certain.

One of the black-clad GI Joe types spoke in code into a microphone attached to his collar, and then nodded, silently ordering his men to lower their weapons. "The King will see you," he said gruffly, in a manner as if we were to have an audience with a real king… which I suppose to vampires, this one might be. Godric and Pam seemed thoroughly unimpressed with the whole thing, though.

We crossed the lush, manicured lawn to the white house and went up the stairs that led to the black-painted double doors, leading us inside a rather grand entrance hall; from what I'd seen of the vampire world so far, they did like their luxury.

A human staff member greeted us with the haughty air of someone who saw their importance severely inflated by mirroring said importance in that of their employer. She gave the marks Godric had left on my neck and the grasp Sookie had on Eric a lingering glance, clearly deemed us as nothing more than fangbangers (which I thought was mightily hypocritical, given that she herself sported a somewhat fresh set of marks on her neck), and in a superior tone suggested that 'the human companions' wait in the foyer while the King saw his subjects.

She must have been new at her job.

Godric simply stared at her as if a toad had suddenly decided to try and chat him up, while Eric dropped fang, upper lip pulling back in a sneer.

"I'm afraid the loyal subjects are attached to their companions," Pam smirked, clearly enjoying the pale complexion of the girl while she gaped at Eric's fangs.

"Uhm… It is custom procedure that pets do not attend an audience… with…" She faltered when Godric's one eyebrow rose half an inch. "Let me show you through." Her face turned a bright shade of pink as she hurried past us, avoiding eye contact.

I was half caught between being annoyed over being disregarded as a 'second class citizen' and somewhat enjoying the little power display; the girl was obviously not used to having the King's 'custom procedure' ignored, and as ashamed as it made my inner feminist, Godric's authority had all days turned me on greatly. A hot rush of blood flowed to my cheeks when I recalled his last display of it that evening, which in turn caused Godric's light grip on my hip to tighten as he felt the desire course through our bond. It really was disturbingly easy to distract vampires with natural, bodily functions.

* * *

King Bill was of medium height, brown-haired with defined features – and an obvious dislike for seeing his ex-lover on the arm of another vampire. I mentally high-fived Sookie when his eyes turned very dark and seemed to attempt to bore holes in the large hand that was clasped around hers.  
He was sat behind a large, wooden desk in a posh-looking office surrounded by a couple of vampires, including a young-looking, redheaded girl that snuck a small smile at Sookie as if they knew each other fairly well.

"Your majesty," my mate and his progeny said in unison, bowing their heads dutifully, though Eric seemed quite a bit more awed by the royal presence than his Maker did. I assumed that this was another effect of the amnesia; normal-headed Eric was not the type to display awe. Over anything. Pam just muttered something indistinguishable.

King Bill appeared to remember that now was not the time to act like a jealous ex-boyfriend and focussed on the three, visiting vampires. "Eric… Sheriff… Pam. I am pleased you have come. We have much to discuss this night and very little time to do so if we are to avoid another day in silver."

I shuddered at the thought of having to put both Eric _and_ Godric through another day of that torture, causing the King's gaze to land on me. "And this is..?"

"This is Miss Sophie Hartt, my mate," Godric answered for me in a calm tone, though I sensed just the hint of an edge to it.

Bill blinked in surprise, which in vampire terms pretty much equals a full-on gasp. "Your mate..? She is human?"

"She is."

I glanced at Godric, and realised that I'd been left out of the loop on something that, judging from the expression of this King's face, was a biggy. But he composed himself after a lingering look at Godric's slightly narrowed, mercury eyes and I wondered if my lover's age really made him more powerful than even a vampire King, since I assumed he had no jurisdiction in Louisiana.

"Very well," he said, motioning at three chairs in front of the large, polished desk he sat behind. "Please, sit. I assume Miss Hartt is the human spy you sent in to this coven?"

The tone of the King's voice suggested that he wasn't altogether pleased that the sheriff of Dallas had investigated a coven on his turf, but seeing as my interference _had_ saved his arse from meeting the sun he probably couldn't bitch too much about it.

Godric sat down in the middle chair, easing me into his lap in a manner that would have been rather inappropriate, had this been a meeting among humans, but I recalled him stating his desire to make his claim on me very clear to this King, so I didn't protest over being lifted up like a house pet. The fact that Sookie received a similar treatment from Eric made me a little more comfortable, too.

"That is correct."

King Bill's (Really? He couldn't just go by William?) eyes found me, and I was a little surprised when he addressed me directly as most vampires I'd met in 'official' situations (i.e. at Godric's fancy-pants party) pretty much ignored human pets. "You are brave, Miss Hartt. Godric told me what you discovered, and I am aware that I have you to thank for the information we needed to act on this threat. As it stands, we will need a human to enter the coven again this evening to undo the spell cast on the hostages. Until then, any vampire will be easy prey to these witches. If your master allows it, will you be willing act as our agent? As having already established a connection with the coven you are our best hope."

Well, colour me shocked! He actually asked _me!_ Clearly, Sookie's ex didn't have a full-blown 'superior race' complex in regards to humans.

Sadly, Godric seemed a lot less impressed, judging from the low growl that vibrated off him.

The redhead by the King's side crouched down, clearly offended at the threat to her King, but Bill put a calming hand on her arm and she sulkily stepped back, eyeballing Godric angrily for his offense.

"I will _not_ allow my mate to re-enter that coven," the vampire underneath me snapped, barely keeping the growl out of his voice. "She has risked more than she should for this issue already. Between us, we can take down the witches without human interference."

The way the gathered vampires glanced nervously at each other – the King included – I got the sense that no one really dared object when the ancient being that currently functioned as my chair was emitting anger like smoke off a barbeque at the mere suggestion that his precious human got involved.

But I knew they were right – getting myself involved last night had efficiently landed me in the position as prime spy candidate, and there weren't any other takers for the job.

"Look, as long as they have those three vampires trapped they can control any other vampire that comes at them," I reasoned, clutching my hand in Godric's to try and keep him calm – he might be more powerful than the King in front of him, but I doubted anything good would come from him attacking a member of the vampire hierarchy. "It _has_ to be a human that goes in first and breaks their hold and I... they already know me. I'm the logical choice." I really, _really_ didn't want to be the logical choice; I wanted to hide and never ever again see another witch in my entire life, but Bill was right – if anyone had a chance at getting behind their defences it was someone they already trusted.

The look he gave me made my heart clench – for that brief moment he looked like the young man he'd been when he was turned, fear brought about by the risk of losing me evident in his mercury eyes. He didn't want to be logical, he didn't want to obey this King – he wanted to take me by the hand and just leave. Let someone else deal with it all.

So it fell to me to be responsible, and Goddess I didn't want to; that was _not_ the role I'd signed up for in this relationship; that was _him._ But as I looked into his scared eyes I realised that no one had ever been the responsible one for him, no one had made the right decisions in his life apart from him. Even with Eric he'd always been the authority figure, the one to keep a clear head when it was needed.

"We have to do this – for Eric," I gently reminded him, trying to push calmness through our bond. "I will be alright, I promise."

It was fortunate that Godric generally gave exactly zero fucks about what others thought, as long as it didn't affect my safety, because every single vampire in the room was staring at us, undoubtedly wondering why the ancient sheriff was letting his pet human speak up, let alone give him advice on the course of action.

He looked into my eyes for another moment, giving my hand a squeeze as his fangs popped out and he pricked his finger, smoothing blood over the marks on my neck before turning his attention back to the King, the blank mask once again slipping over his face. "If Miss Stackhouse agrees to accompany my mate so she can warn her of any traps, I will allow you to utilise my human while disarming the witches practicing in your state."

Ouch. From the way Bill narrowed his eyes he didn't appreciate the dig at his inability to control his own area without help in front of his subjects. Unfortunately, Godric didn't care.

"But should any harm come to her I _will _hold you accountable, your Majesty." Darkness flashed dangerously in Godric's eyes, and I cursed silently at his ill-timed warning. Threatening a King was not exactly keeping the low profile that we wanted, with me being a witch and all, and judging from the cold expression in this King's eyes he knew how to hold a grudge. And I thought _I_ was meant to be the irresponsible one.

"Naturally, sheriff," was the clipped answer, before dark eyes turned to Sookie, who looked even smaller than normal in the Viking's lap. "Sookie, will you accompany Miss Hartt on this mission and use your abilities to protect her?"

* * *

I wasn't _quite_ sure how two Southern girls without any military or martial arts training ended up being on the frontline of the Witch Wars 2, but I was fairly sure it had something to do with our eminently bad decision making when it came to picking out boyfriends among the undead. Sure, human men could be asshats and all, but a bad Saturday night with them would maybe entail arguing over too many beer-runs and too little sex, not attempting to break out three mind-controlled strangers so your supernatural SWAT team didn't get turned against you.  
At least there was plenty of sex.

Sookie snorted next to me, straightening her dress. "Speak for yourself – I get wrangled into these messes before I can blink, without any car-demolition as compensation."

I flushed hotly. Really needed to remember that mindreading-thing! "Well, I'm sure Eric would be happy to compensate you," I shot back, pleased to see the petite blonde blushing as I projected a fairly immature image at her.

It was rather fortunate that we were preoccupied with good-humouredly snickering at each other when we entered the Moon Goddess Emporium as it took our attention away from being scared witless and probably giving away everything just by looking terrified; I had the hellish experience from the previous night in fresh recollection, and Sookie had seen every gory detail in my head.

"Well, well, you came back!"

I startled when the middle-aged man who'd handed out cookies the previous night slid out from the shadows of the otherwise-empty store, a silver-looking chain in his hand.

"Well… yeah. I'm sorry, was I not meant to come tonight?" I attempted my best concerned-for-overstepping-my-invitation face. "I brought my friend, because she thought it all sounded awesome and wanted to see if she could maybe join too?"

That's right, I didn't realise I was mind-raped and partaking in horrible, sadistic rituals. Just being an insane cultist-wannabe here, nothing to see, move along…

The guy eyed Sookie suspiciously. "Oh? Got some juice then?"

She smiled her sweet, over-the-top smile at him. "Oh, there's always been some psychic abilities in my family, but I'm nowhere near as talented as Sophie!" I swear, her southern twang became much more pronounced when she was trying to be endearing.

He seemed to buy her act of not being the brightest crayon in the box, but very enthusiastic, and shrugged, looking back at me. "Well, come on in, then."

We followed him to the backroom while Sookie made some odd faces at me that weren't the ones we'd agreed on would signal that there was a trap, but I took it to mean that I should be careful and that something definitely was up. I mean, more so than just your generic 'evil coven of witches trying to rid the world of vampires' up.

It looked like the same amount of witches as last night was present in the room when we entered, but the atmosphere was different; the people there seemed agitated rather than excited, but when Marnie looked up as we entered she seemed to calm down a little bit.

"Hey guys…" I hesitated at the door, but was ushered in by the man whose name I still didn't know. "I brought my friend Sookie… I hope that's alright?"

"I was so excited about what Sophie came home and told me last night!" Sookie helpfully chirped, doing her best to look blonde and harmless. "I've never practiced myself, but my family does have a history of having psychic abilities."

"Oh my Goddess, did you _tell_ people what we did?!" The outraged shout came from Raven. "Do you not realise what the fangers would do to us if they knew who did this?!"

Time to put on that Oscar-performance! I frowned at the black-haired girl. "Seriously? You think I'm _that_ stupid? _I_ took part in that ritual too, you know, and I don't have a death wish! I told Sookie because she's interested in the occult – and has very bad experiences with vampires, having dated one in the past. And because you all seemed so nice! I haven't told another soul."

We'd agreed on a short back-story for Sookie, seeing as she lived locally and worked at a bar, so chances were that people knew of her and her association with Bill Compton. The only way to be sure not to get busted was by using it.

Apparently, it worked well, because Raven blanched and Marnie said: "Of course you wouldn't tell anyone, dear girl. We are all just a bit on edge because the ritual didn't have the effect we expected."

Sookie and I sat down in the loose circle of witches, and I managed a concerned frown at the leader. "How so? Did it not work? The magic felt so powerful…"

"Only a handful of fangers died," someone at the other end of the circle said, anger clear in her voice. "It should have been hundreds."

"We thought you might have been a traitor," Raven said next to me in such an apologetic voice that I almost felt guilty for actually having betrayed them. Almost being the keyword here.

"But naturally, we dismissed it," Marnie's voice cut through, a rather fanatic gleam in her hazel eyes. "A sister with that much of the power would never betray her kind for those _dead monsters._"

I agreed with the right amount of horror at the thought, and then the conversation seemed to pick up from where it'd dropped off when Sookie and I entered, going back and forth over what could have gone wrong with the ritual and what to do with the spellbound vampires next. Frankly, the suggestions were horrifying, and I was endlessly grateful that there would be no attempt at casting those rituals this evening.

In a short intermission Sookie nudged me towards the bathroom and I followed her, eager to hear what she had learnt about the captives' position so we could get this over with.

As soon as the door locked behind us to the small room the petite blonde swirled around, eyes wide with horror. "She is insane!" she whispered. "Marnie – her head is so twisted and snarly… she is very, very dangerous! She sees everyone here as… as energy bags, nothing more."

Kinda caught on to that one, yes.

"Have you picked up anything about where _they_ are?"

She nodded. "I'm pretty sure they're in the storage room next to the bathroom."

I blinked. "Really? That just seems too easy."

Sookie shrugged. "I suppose no one wanted to store three vampires in their own home."

That was a fairly good point, I had to admit.

We quickly exited the bathroom, made sure that the coast was clear and then tiptoed to the – locked – storage area.

Well, hm. Sookie looked at me expectantly, which reminded me that I was supposed to be the witch here, and therefore have some sort of solution. Unfortunately, no one had handed me a wand and a snazzy spell to unlock doors, making this whole spy-business somewhat more difficult, but after ransacking my mind for ideas (and quickly forgetting about trying to open it with bobby pins, because that just seemed like the sort of thing that requires practice and a clue of what you're doing) I ended up placing my hands over the lock and summoning my pure energy, _pressing_ it into the hole.

The lock melted off in seconds.

Huh! Who would have known – I was _so_ an acceptable spy!

Sookie rolled her eyes at my triumphant smile, quickly slipping into the dark room and flicked on the lights by the switch.

It was pretty creepy to suddenly be in a rather small space with two dead-eyed vampires standing completely still, like robots awaiting an attack order.

"Uhm… guys?" Sookie whispered. "Can you hear us? We're here to free you."

"Don't bother." I frowned, looking over the immobile bodies. Both of their necks had a small snake-fang inserted, right in the vein from the looks of things. I wasn't exactly skilled in proper witchcraft, but I was fairly sure that they had a lot to do with how the vampires were being kept in that trance. "I doubt they can hear you." But if that was the case, where did they keep the third vampire from the previous night?

"They made him walk out into the sun," Sookie informed me, picking up on my thoughts. "That's how the spell worked."

Hopefully, he'd been a real jerk. I felt horrible – I'd been there, _helped_ the witches do this to him… Resolutely, I reached up and yanked the snake fangs out of first one and then another vampire.

An ominous rumble sounded from the backroom just as a hand grabbed my throat.

"_Witch!"_ the very-live vampire who had a strangulating grasp on me hissed. "You are going to die, you little bitch!"

Oh, _fuck!_ Massive hole in this plan! So much for being a passable spy. I clawed at his hand in an effort to get enough air in so I could tell him we were on their side, but just then the door burst open and a wave of _power _washed over us.

"So you _are_ a traitor!"

Marnie.

Marnie stood there, flanked by outraged witches and all I could think about was that if she got a hold of the fangs on the floor all this would be over. As it was, I just hoped that what at that point must have been my overwhelming fear would cause Godric to start the attack right that second, or else get the hell out of Louisiana.

The crazed witch made a hand gesture and I was dropped on the floor, gasping for breath as the vampire was caught in her dark magic.

"Selling your soul to those evil bloodsuckers is the worst thing any witch could do," she hissed, darkness pooling in her eyes, catching me as if I was Glamoured. "You will know pain for your treachery!"

Lightning shot past me, breaking the hold she had on my mind and I gaped at Sookie for a short second. She had zapped the vampire that had had her by the neck and now turned towards Marnie, shaking but determined.

"Now you listen here, you evil bitch! Sophie is not the one who should worry about her soul, you are! You let us go righ…" She didn't get to finish her demand before dark energy sent her to her knees; someone in Marnie's entourage had obviously learnt from the leader.

But she'd bought us enough time.

A shattering sound came from the front store, and then a yelp and more noises.

"_They are here! Prepare for an attack!"_

The two vampires in the room with us _wooshed_ out of the door, and I had an uncomfortable feeling that they were still under Marnie's control, but the fangs laid forgotten on the floor and that was all that really mattered right then. I crawled towards them and quickly gathered them up, only to be caught around the waist and hoisted into the air.

"You are unharmed?" someone demanded urgently as I was spun around.

Relief filled me as I looked at Godric's stone-set face from my position in Eric's arms. "Yeah, and the spell has been broken. You were just in time. Hurry – they are strong."

He touched my cheek gently. "Stay behind us."

Eric put me down and Sookie and I hurried after the two vampires into what had been the backroom. It was now roofless and the wall separating it from the shop was more or less missing.

Absolute chaos met us.

Normally, I'd say 9 vampires could easily take on around 14 witches, but these particular withes were not your run-of-the-mill hedge-kind, and the fact that they had two of the vampires under control was greatly tipping the tide in their favour.

As I saw my mate join the battle I realised that if I didn't provide some sort of witchy support, this could end very badly for us, so when Cookie Guy took control over the redheaded, female vampire I reached out my arm and blasted him with my energy, knocking him into a wall.

The redhead shook her head as if to clear it and then narrowed her eyes, rounding on the guy.

My arm buzzed warningly, reminding me that my reserves were still much depleted after last night's experience. Hopefully, the other witches would soon face the same problem.

Sookie shouted out warnings to Bill and Pam and occasionally zapped someone with the lightning that I up until tonight had had no idea she could produce, but she seemed to have even less energy for it than I did for my magic and mainly tried to only intervene if one of the witches cast their attention on us, leaving me free to try and help the vampires until it became too hard to force the power out of my body.

I staggered backwards after freeing the King from Raven's mind control, trying to summon up enough strength to keep upright.

"No!"

Sookie's sudden scream sounded as if she was yelling through water; my mind was buzzing from the exhaustion, and I slowly turned my head to my friend to see if she needed help, seeing pure terror on her face just as Eric s_wooshed_ up to us and grabbed me by the neck.

His eyes were vacant; they'd gotten to him. And I was going to die by his fangs.

The move was instinctual; with the absolute last reserves I could muster I let my energy surge through my arms and into his chest – at the exact same moments as lightning shot from Sookie's fingers and blasted him. The combined energy ripped him off me and spun him into the nearby wall.

And I sunk to the floor, realising too late that the energy I'd used against Eric was the last of my life force.

A horrible roar from somewhere too far away was what made me understand that I was dying – because that sound was Godric knowing that he couldn't fight his way to me quickly enough to save the half of his soul that I possessed.

"Don't you fucking _dare!"_

With my very last efforts I cracked open my eyes enough to see blue orbs and then a bloody wrist before it was pressed against my lips. Familiar, heady liquid trickled over my tongue before I automatically swallowed.

"Come on little witch, drink." I was hoisted up with my head supported against a stony chest, still staring up into Eric's bright eyes as he fed me his blood.

It didn't take long before his ancient life force gave me enough strength to drink on my own, clutching at his wrist.

"Good girl," he mumbled, to then suddenly look up. "She will be fine, Godric."

My mate had arrived. I struggled to push the wrist away and look up at him, but the arm stayed put.

"Get her away from here. I will find you," Godric's raw voice sounded from above us, and then a sudden gust of wind signalled his departure.

"I know that tone – this is going to end in carnage." Eric sounded amused. "Best get you out. You too, fairy princess."

And then I was unceremoniously tossed over a strong shoulder before the world blurred around us, sudden fresh night sky surrounding us as well as Sookie's loud scream (clearly, I wasn't the only one who had trouble staying quiet – when not near-dead – during vampire flying) until Eric gracefully landed in some woodland a couple of minutes later.

I heard a bump from when Eric let go of his other passenger and her legs gave out from underneath her, and half expected to be tossed on the ground next to her, but I was placed in his lap as he easily sat down and presented me with a newly-opened, bloody wrist.

"I think I'm okay now," I murmured, weakly pushing at his arm.

"Don't make me pinch your nose shut again," his dry voice sounded above me.

I blinked, glancing up. The expression on his face was slightly taunting. "Oh great, you're back, aren't you?!" I exclaimed without thinking.

"Yes, thanks to you and microwave fingers over there. Now drink." His wrist pressed against my mouth and I obediently opened it, swallowing a couple of mouthfuls before asking: "So how much do you remember?" Only it sounded like I was semi-retarded, due to having my mouth full.

He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"How much do you remember?" Sookie helpfully translated. She'd sat herself in front of us, wrapping her arms around her knees. For someone who'd just been part of a battle she seemed fairly calm. I wondered if over-exposure to vampires would ever get me as cool and collected.

"I remember everything," was the unnerving reply, made somewhat more disturbing by the fact that he held my gaze unblinkingly while he said it. I quickly raked my brain for anything I'd done that he could take offense to and came up with a much too long list of possibilities.

But then his free hand came up to stroke away my long bangs that'd gotten tangled up in my face.

I blinked.

He blinked too, seemingly as astonished as I was over the gesture, and when a smile crept onto my face he frowned down at me. But it was too late – I _knew _some of the person I'd gotten to know for the past few days was still there.

Eric spent the rest of the time while we waited for Godric being an absolute arse, though he did assure me that Godric was just fine when my worry made my stomach lurch. He sexually harassed Sookie, called me a pathetic excuse for a witch - then blamed absolutely everything that had happened on me _because_ I was a witch, taunted the both of us for having to be babysat while the men did the dirty work (completely ignoring that both the redhead from Bill's court and Pam were females) and smirked at our annoyance in the most patronising way possible.

By the end of it both Sookie and I were contemplating zapping him again in hopes that he'd lose his memory and go back to being tolerable.

But when Godric appeared I noticed that the Viking slipped in front of me while I got to my feet, a cautious look on his face as he took in his Maker. "Godric," he greeted the older vampire, some unspoken question in the one word.

"I do not lack control with her," was Godric's cryptic answer that made Eric step aside.

He was covered in blood from head to toe and there was a wild look in his eyes as if he'd turned into a half-tamed animal overnight, but mainly he just looked… broken.

Strong arms enveloped me when I tossed myself against his grossly-soaked chest, and I was pressed against the vampire so fiercely that breathing became somewhat difficult.

Normally, the smell and feel of so much blood would have made me squeal, but the pure need vibrating through every fibre of his being for comfort and confirmation that I wasn't going anywhere, that I hadn't died from him and wasn't going to anytime soon made me forget about the complete horror that was covering my loved one at that moment.

"Absolute last time," he whispered into my ear after a while. "If I feel you die one more time I will not be able to come back."

I moved my head from the side of his neck and glanced at him questioningly.

"It is why Eric was trying to protect you from me," he explained softly, placing red kisses in my hair. "I lost it."

"'It'?" I inquired.

"The grip on my humanity. It almost slipped when you went to this coven the first time. This time… I cannot do it again, little one. Please, do not make me do this again." Blood from his eyes mixed with the blood of his enemies, and suddenly _I_ was cradling _him _as he broke down in my arms, sobs wrecking his lithe body.

Helpful as always, I started crying with him, but he didn't seem to mind as he clutched me close, begging for me to never leave him.

"I won't," I promised, sniffling while I desperately stroked his bloodied hair and cheeks, pressing my body into his for comfort. "I am yours always, in this life and the next. Don't give up on me, ever, you hear? I need you to be here for me, always."

"Always," he muttered hoarsely, clasping a hand against the back of my neck so our foreheads met. The tears had stopped flowing from his eyes but had left his face streaked, matching his hair, mouth and clothes.

We sat like that for a while, calming down while finding peace again in each other's eyes. But when the kissing started I pulled back with a grimace that made him chuckle. "Maybe making love in a pool of blood is a little much to ask of you yet, my light," he whispered softly while I spat out _someone's_ plasma, trying not to gag. "We should go to Eric's house – we both need a shower and rest."

It wasn't until then that I realised that we were alone in the woods – Sookie and Eric were gone, and I assumed they had been for quite some time. Apparently, the obstinate Viking did have some sense of tact in him, somewhere deep down. Very deep down.

* * *

Godric brought us to a nice-but-surprisingly-upper-middle class house in Shreveport's suburbs, going through codes and electronic security checks as if it was his second home before leading me to a small, light-tight apartment in the basement containing a couple of bedrooms, a lounge and – most importantly – a lovely, big shower.

It was probably the first time we had shared a bath without having sex in it, but as I wasn't a vampire the whole 'being covered in blood' wasn't a big turn-on for me, and Godric seemed content with just being with me.

We curled up together on a big bed with black silk bedding and I fell asleep listening to him hum a song of love in a long-dead language.

My last thoughts for the night were of happiness and joy rather than the horrors we'd been through.

* * *

When I woke up I felt flustered and awkward after dreaming of my lover and his progeny tag teaming me in the most disturbing way, though I had been prepared this time; I knew having my life saved by Eric's blood came at the unpleasant price of detailed sex dreams, but my brain still struggled with the Viking's transformation to nice guy-then-back-to-arsehole, and the result had been a dream of _making love_ to both vampires, which irked me out far more than more rough scenarios would have.

And my flustered disposition really wasn't helped when I, after wiggling out of Godric's embrace, realised that on the other side of his passed-out form was an equally passed-out Eric. In the same bed. Without clothes.

Okay, no need to panic, they were just being vampires – this was not weird. They were just being vampires; cozying up – naked- to your Maker and his mate was normal vampire-behaviour…

I think perhaps the shock of waking up in a bed that also hosted Eric is what allowed me to stumble out of said bed and start pulling on some of the clothes that had been brought from Sookie's house to Eric's during the early hours of the morning before I discovered the giant, ostentatious diamond ring that had appeared on my left ring finger while I slept.

I froze, one foot lifted in the middle of stepping into my jeans, staring at the ridicules piece of jewellery.

Oh, he mother fucking _didn't!_


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note/Ratings Warning:**

_This is, and will continue to be, a Godric/OC story. However *points to description/summary bit* naked Viking incoming for a guest star appearance. Get on board or skip the end of this chapter (and the start of the next)._

_And on that note:__ Very mature contents ahead! Hypothetical minors, be warned; things get rather explicit._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**27**

It wasn't that this was the biggest goddamn diamond I'd ever seen and that it looked absolutely ridicules on a low-maintenance girl like myself (especially one who'd just rolled out of bed), or even really that I woke up engaged after going to bed very much not weighed down by a – holy _crap_ that thing was huge – colossal rock.

It was more the fact that last night had been the _night_ of perfect moments to propose; he could have asked: when I threw myself in his arms after not having seen him for a few days, _after_ he'd fucked me into oblivion and before presenting me to some random King as his property (really, what said '_mine'_ in a classy manner more so than a diamond ring?), before embarking on a dangerous mission/ battling evil witches, _after_ battling said evil witches and narrowly surviving, during the emotional moment when I'd held him in the woods or finally, when he'd _sung me a freaking ballad_ while we were curled up in actual silk sheets! But no! What _could_ have been one of the most romantic moments in my life had somehow ended up involving waking up in a bed with Eric Northman.

If I hadn't had recent, first-hand experience with why it was a really bad idea to forcefully wake up a sleeping vampire, a certain ancient teenager would have woken up to a serious chest-poking.

I finished getting dressed – frequently getting distracted by blinding sparkles as the prisms in the ring caught the movement-sensor lighting in the small apartment – and made my way to the lounge where I curled up on a comfy sofa and flicked on the huge plasma screen.

* * *

One and a half episode of Friends later my attention was attracted by movement in my peripheral vision, but before I managed to turn my head cool lips pressed against mine.

"Mph!" I exclaimed in startled indignation, narrowing my eyes at the mischievous gleam in the mercury ones that met mine as he pushed me down flat on the sofa, hands roaming freely.

"You are _so_ not getting any right now," I growled against his lips, pushing futilely at his chest.

Godric courteously lifted up, hovering over me in a way that made the muscles in his defined – and bare – arms tense in a most hypnotising way. "And why, my little one, am I not 'getting any' right now?" The tone of his voice and slightly cocked eyebrow suggested that he was simply humouring me for his own amusement rather than actually believing that there was any conviction behind my words.

I studiously kept my gaze from his naked body. "You mean apart from the trauma that was last night?"

His brows furrowed. "I would think that making love would help us heal."

"And then there's the matter of the ring I woke up with…" I continued, ignoring his reasoning.

This time his eyebrows rose in question. "Yes? Do you not like it?"

I sighed. "It is very hard to dislike a diamond, but this thing could have fed an entire, African village…"

"I fund numerous projects in impoverished countries, also on the African continent. The price I paid for this particular piece of jewellery is a drop in comparison," he rebuked my argument calmly, still holding his body perfectly still a few inches over mine as if he was just waiting for me to be done listing complaints before he continued what he'd obviously wished to start after waking up.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "I didn't know you were, er, charitable."

The young-looking vampire tilted his head slightly, watching me with a curious expression. "You are the one who told me I have to right my wrong-doings in this world to earn salvation, and while I know I cannot simply donate money to obtain that, my contributions have saved hundreds of lives and bettered many more." His eyes softened. "Because of you, I have helped people in need, not brought them more suffering."

I almost caved at that expression, but managed to stir my thoughts back on track before my traitor-lips reached for his. "Do you know how many lives are ruined by the diamond industry? They don't call them blood diamonds for nothing."

"I am aware of the methods some diamonds are obtained by. Yours is Canadian, and I guarantee you that no one has suffered in the extraction of it." His eyes sparkled, and I realised that he had anticipated comments like this from his humanitarian mate, and made an extra effort to ensure that they would fall flat.

Well, well! "Well, then I suppose I just need to know _why_ you gave me this obscenely large, cruelty-free diamond ring?" My eyes narrowed at his obvious assumption that he'd settled the argument when he rested his hips down between my legs, leaning on one elbow so he could caress a breast through my top, gaze focussing on my body.

"You wanted to get married, and it is customary that the man present the woman with a ring to symbolise the promise of this arrangement first," he stated, as if he'd wiki'ed human marriage traditions - which he honestly might have. "In more recent time such a ring has commonly been decorated with a diamond, of which the size often represents the man's financial worth. I am very wealthy, so the diamond in your ring is the largest the jeweller had in stock."

Sweet Goddess, was he being this unromantic on purpose?! I mean, it couldn't just be happenstance; it had to take some effort to get to this level!

"What is c_ustomary_ is that the man _asks_ for the woman to marry him," I noted wryly.

Godric looked up from my breasts with a nonplussed expression. "Do you not want to marry me? I thought you made your wishes quite clear."

"Of _course_ I do! You should still ask!"

A small smirk slid over his lips. "I just did, did I not?"

… Son of a…!

"This is the _worst_ proposal ever!" I sulked, folding my arms over my chest so he couldn't return to his fondling.

"I am sorry, little one." He looked thoroughly not-sorry, the bastard. "How about I make it better..?" Fingers trailed enticingly down my stomach.

My leg came up to stop his fingers from going lower, accidently kneeing him in the groin. Luckily, it takes more to wind a vampire. "Absolutely not, when Eric could wake up any moment! Which brings me to: _Why_ was Eric in bed with us this morning?!"

A genuinely perplexed expression crossed his face. "It is his bed."

Holy Mother… "_Then why were we in his bed? _And why was he _naked?"_

"He and I had much to discuss before dawn, and I was unwilling to leave your side – it was simply practical that we stay in his bed, and he does not mind. Why does it bother you that he sleeps naked? We do too."

Oh, vampires. Gotta love them. "It is very inappropriate to sleep naked in bed with a man you aren't dating," I explained calmly. "Surely you're not _that_ out of touch with human customs."

"It was my impression that you bonded very well with my Child over the past few days; he told me how good care you took of him. I thought you had grown close enough for you to be comfortable around him." He still seemed honestly confused at my agitation with the whole issue.

I rolled my eyes in frustration that whether or not it was alright to be naked around his progeny even had to be a discussion. "I made friends with amnesic-Eric, and while I know that some of that personality is still there, normal-Eric and I don't have the best track record – we don't like each other much."

Godric blinked, then smiled widely. "Oh, Sophie. The Eric you got to know _is_ his actual personality. He just lacked all the layers of confidence and self-preservation his long life has provided him with."

"Are you honestly telling me that at the centre of Eric Northman's annoying attitude and bullying personality is a gooey heart that just wants to be loved?" I asked sarcastically, quirking my eyebrow at my lover.

His smile turned softer, but his eyes sparkled at my description. "I would not say that exactly - especially not when he hears it. My Eric is a warrior at heart. But he is also kind and loyal… and occasionally gentle."

"So how does this mean I should be OK with waking up to all his nude glory?" I pointed out.

Slender fingers danced along my temple, playing with my walnut strands. "Eric is a part of me, my love. My blood is his – he is mine and I am his. But my soul is yours, and you are mine. You are intimately connected through me, do you not see? If he is naked or not does not matter, dear one."

It was pretty hard to argue against the conviction I saw in his eyes, but I remained what I'd call _humanly sceptical_ at his conclusions; but I suppose I'd at least not woken up sandwiched between them.

- And _that_ thought just made me blush hard while remembering back to the blood-dream.

"Hmm," Godric hummed above me, pressing just a little down with his hips. "Do share with me the thoughts that caused this intoxicating rush of blood to your beautiful face, little one?" From his tone and darkened eyes I could tell he already had a good idea, the smug bastard.

I glared at him. "Oh no, you don't! You do _not_ get to abuse the fact that your magic rainbow blood comes with depraved side-effects!"

His full laugh was echoed from the open-arched doorway that led into the lounge, and I twisted my neck to catch a glimpse of Eric, who was in the process of pulling on a black T-shirt.

"You sound mightily prudish for a woman currently pinned underneath my naked Maker," he offered with a smirk. "If you fuck your human on my sofa you're footing the dry-cleaning bill, Godric. Can I offer a TruBlood, or will you be dining on your travel-snack?"

My mate smiled and stole a quick kiss from me before he sat up, letting me scoot back and up into a seated position too. "I am not hungry, thank you. But Sophie will need food."

"Oh." Eric looked like he'd completely forgotten that I'd need feeding. "There's no human food in the house... you could take her out? There are a few restaurants in town that cater to humans and vampires alike."

Godric sent me a quick, guilty glance. "I cannot – I am to meet with the King of Louisiana shortly for a… debriefing. You two could..?" He paused at the equally off-put expressions he received from the both of us, sighing.

"I'll just order a pizza or something," I assured him. "Why are you and not Eric being debriefed by the king? He's Bills employee after all, right?"

The Viking scoffed at that term, muttering something about 'brownnose' under his breath, and I took it that he didn't exactly love his King.

"Oh…" Godric looked a little uncomfortable at my question. "It is more a case of me debriefing him… One of his sheriffs -_ my_ progeny - was attacked by necromancers operating less than thirty miles from his own house. On the other hand, he saw my mate wield witch power…"

I paled, realising that someone in the vampire hierarchy was aware of my abilities… and by deduction, that Godric had broken the rules by not only leaving me alive, but also protecting me.

"Do not worry, my light." A strong hand clasped around the back of my neck, letting Godric pull my forehead in to rest against his. His thumb stroked gently over the sensitive tendon there and he smiled reassuringly. "This King realises that his own position depends on this being kept quiet. And besides, he seems attached to the telepath still – he would not wish to risk retribution by her lineage becoming known in our society."

"What _is_ she? She is certainly not a witch, but... that lightning she can shoot…?" I had been wondering about that since the fight, but so many other things had taken priority that I had not had time to dwell on it.

"She's Fae," Eric supplied. "Or partly so. She is mainly human, but the fairy in her blood gives her certain abilities… and appeals. The fairies are almost extinct – she would not fare well if her ancestry became known."

The way he said it made it quite clear that by 'not fare well' he meant become some form of refill blood-slave for a high-up vampire, and I shuddered at the thought. At least I would just die if my secret was revealed – and while that wasn't exactly a bright future, it beat being fed on against your will for the rest of your days.

"There is no cause for alarm, Sophie. I have full faith that you will both be safe from discovery after my meeting with the King." Godric pecked me on the lips and pulled back, getting up with a regretful sigh. "Maybe we can revisit the idea of sending Eric's couch to the drycleaner when I return, yes?"

I pinched my lips in disapproval of him discussing our sex life in front of Eric, but neither vampire paid me any attention, and shortly after Godric was dressed and out the door, and I was left alone with Eric-with-his-memories-intact.

"Do you have a phonebook?" I asked after the silence had spread between us for a little while. "Or internet or something so I can find a place that delivers."

"Sure." He disappeared for a moment and then returned with a thick book, lobbing it and a phone next to me on the couch before leaning against the wall again, eying the muted TV.

I quickly found a pizza-place in the phonebook, ordered my Hawaiian pizza… and then we sat in awkward silence again. Too much had happened over the past week for things to _not_ be awkward when we were alone in the same room.

"So… thanks for saving my life last night," I finally broke through when I couldn't handle the weirdness anymore.

The blonde vampire sighed, moving his blue gaze from the TV to my face. "We're really going to do this, then?"

I sent him a grin, pleased that he was obviously as uncomfortable about the whole thing as I was. "Afraid so."

"Fine." Eric moved to the couch and plonked down, casually resting an arm over the back of it. "Thank you for taking care of me." His facial expression revealed nothing but boredom, but I recalled the way he'd stroked my hair away from my face in a gesture of tenderness so I wasn't fooled.

"So you remember how you said we'd still be friends when you regained your memory?" I continued, noticing him grit his teeth.

"I do." It really sounded like he wished he didn't.

I looked expectantly at him. "So…?"

"Does it really matter?" he enquired, raising an eyebrow at me. "My Maker has chosen you as his mate and as such there is not much I wouldn't do to keep you safe."

Boy, it was tough to get to that fabled, gooey centre of his. "Well yeah, it kind of does matter Eric, because _I_ thought of you as my friend while we were at Sookie's, not just someone who is important to Godric and therefore needs to be protected. And I'd rather not end this whole, horrible experience losing the only good thing that came out of it."

"If there is something you need you can always call me, and I will try to help," was his – strained – answer.

It was my turn to arch an eyebrow at him. "Really? This is your idea of friendship? Calling in favours? I mean, don't get me wrong, it beats blood-raping me in the bushes, but…"

"Don't push it, Sophie," he growled. "I am not the type of person to have friends – I have people I can use."

"We've both held and comforted each other while crying. Come on Eric, don't be such a pussy that you can't even admit to having friendly feelings towards someone," I challenged him, folding my arms over my chest.

The Viking stared at me through narrowed eyes for a long moment, probably wishing _I'd_ get a case of amnesia, but if I let him just brush it off then my friend from the past few days would be forever lost to me. And I would miss him.

"If you swear to never bring that up again, then fine. I will call you my friend," he finally managed, through clenched teeth.

My smile was involuntary. "Deal, bestie!"

"Call me that again and you will be sorry."

Ooh, but this could be fun! The smile grew. "Can I bring up how you were scared to be alone in the dark?"

"No."

"How about how cutesy-pants and distraught you were over wanting to fang Sookie?"

His lips pinched. "I'm already regretting this, witch."

I cackled suitably, then calmed down, though I couldn't keep the teasing smile off my face. "I'm sorry. Can I have a hug?"

The doorbell's ringing saved me from an undoubtedly harsh rejection.

Eric shot me a pointed glare before he got up and _swooshed_ out of the room to answer.

Moments later he returned with a pizza box and my eyes lit up, my stomach reacting noisily to the scent.

"Humans," Eric mumbled disdainfully as he handed me the box.

"Oh yeah, because sprouting fangs and staring at people's necks when getting hungry is so much better than a growling belly!" I shot back, digging in. "Goddess, this is good! You not hungry?"

He smirked, showing me a bit of fang in provocation. "Are you offering?"

"Friends don't bite friends," I replied sagely in between cheesy mouthfuls. "By the way… why did King Bill seem so confused about me being Godric's mate?"

Eric settled back down on the couch, eying my less-than-impeccable table manners somewhat condescendingly. "Choosing a mate is a big deal – an eternity together big-deal. You humans are fragile and, frankly, inferior; it is unthinkable to most that Godric would allow you to remain mortal while dedicating himself to you in this way. And technically, you don't class as his mate before you are a vampire, but not many are stupid enough to challenge him on his terminology."

Oh. Right. Speciesm, of course. "Well, at least we'll be married soon enough, so that's one technicality down," I said happily, eyeing the monstrosity on my finger.

The vampire snorted in a non-verbal yet crystal clear expression of his thoughts on the constitution of marriage. "You should hurry up with… _that._" He gestured at my food with a disgusted expression. "We are going to my club when Godric gets back, and your current attire doesn't exactly match the general dress-code."

I froze, pizza slice halfway to my mouth. "Uhh… what? But… " But we'd _just _survived Witch Wars 2 – going clubbing seemed rather inappropriate.

A small smile tugged at his lips at my expression. "I have been gone from my post and my underlings tend to grow a little unruly – Fangtasia is my official place to deal with any and all business related to my position as sheriff. I need to make an appearance, and Godric has kindly agreed to join me. And that means that you, little miss witch, need to get into something sexy."

"So… basically, I'm going as a decorative prop?" I confirmed.

His smile widened. "Exactly. All you need to do is keep that hot arse planted in Godric's lap until we're done, shouldn't be too hard."

He was amazingly skilled at being a sexist prick.

"Yeah, not happening Northman. I'm not arm candy material. But if Sookie's going and you're offering free access to the bar then I might consider tagging along…" I already knew that I was going no matter what; Godric would look at me with those beautiful eyes of his, call me 'little one' and say something in his velvety voice about how he didn't want to be apart from his mate or Child, and I would fold like a house of cards. But Eric didn't necessarily know this.

Judging from the calculating expression he regarded me with he had an inkling, but to my surprise he said: "Alright. Sookie will not want anything to do with the supernatural world for a little while, but if you prefer to spend the night away from the business end of things then get drunk, dance… enjoy yourself and celebrate that we won last night. The bar will be free."

"This is a trap, isn't it?" I eyed the Viking suspiciously; he had caved way too easily, which really wasn't his usual style.

"I owe you." He got up from the sofa and headed towards the door that led to the upstairs section of the house. "And if you would rather spend the night enjoying my establishment as a guest than as part of business proceedings then I will be happy to let you do that."

* * *

When Godric returned I was wearing the nicest sundress I had bought while living with Sookie, arguing with the Viking over whether or not it was acceptable club attire.

"You can frown all you want, caveman, I am not going anywhere looking like a goddamn whore. Besides, this is the sexiest outfit I have here, so suck it up!" Normally, I wouldn't have let his bullying get to me, but a part of me did agree that a white, flowery sundress wasn't the most appropriate thing to wear to a vampire night club, leaving me feeling a little insecure about my looks and the whole situation. Naturally, that made me quite defensive.

Eric rolled his eyes at me. "I'm not saying you look hideous, just that it wouldn't kill you to show off your tits. You're practically dressed like a nun."

Godric stepped through the door to the upstairs living room just as Eric easily caught my hand that'd been on its way to make impact with his face.

"I leave you two alone for barely two hours and this is what I find," the ancient vampire's amused voice sounded, making both of us freeze.

We both turned our heads towards him, Eric dropping his grip on my wrist.

"She's being unreasonable," the blonde sighed, earning him an indignant huff from me.

"He told me to show off my tits! And he called them tits!" I shot back, looking to my mate for some sort of support in reining in his insufferable progeny.

Unfortunately for me, the corner of Godric's mouth quivered slightly at my outburst, indicating that he was not taking this nearly as seriously as I'd have liked him to.

"Did he now?" he purred, giving me a good once-over. "Well, they are very nice."

"Your Son is asking me to dress like a prostitute and all you do is leer at me?" I hissed, folding my arms over the current topic of discussion.

"And compliment you," he pointed out, sauntering over to us to slip his arms around my waist. "You are beautiful, Sophie."

I was on the verge of melting into his embrace when Eric sarcastically added: "A beautiful prude."

"Fuck you, Northman!" I growled, turning my head from Godric's promising gaze to glare at the Viking. "I'm not _your_ arm candy so why don't you just shut up?"

"She does have a point," Godric noted, that obnoxious corner of his mouth twitching again. "She is going as my companion. If you wish to see her tits you will have to ask nicely."

Eric's roaring laughter drowned out the sound of the slap that landed on Godric's chest before I stomped out of the house.

* * *

When we pulled up at the parking lot by Fangtasia in Eric's red Corvette my mood was a little better, mainly due to Godric spending the short trip on the backseat with me, whispering sweet-slash-naughty things to me in just the right blend; it was hard to keep being upset with him when he seemed in such a good mood, even though I didn't necessarily love being on the receiving end of his humour when he teamed up with his Child. But anything that made Godric laugh and his eyes shine silvery with joy was a good thing as far as I was concerned, and it seemed that having Eric and I together under somewhat-friendly circumstances did the trick.

Godric and I followed Eric towards the main entrance, where a line of people in ridicules outfits were waiting to be let in, Pam – wearing a black leather corset and a short skirt – checking their IDs with a bored look. It was a bit hard to imagine that the same woman had been ripping throats out less than 24 hours ago, but I guess that was just what the vampire world was like – relatively calm on the surface they showed to the public, but so very dangerous underneath.

I picked up on several "oh my god it's _him!"_ as we strolled up along the line, and I rolled my eyes at how the groupies were fawning over Eric like he was a goddamn rock star, but when someone suddenly shouted "Oh God, Sophie! Hey, Sophie!" I stopped, startled. That voice…

Turning around, I spotted a petite, strawberry blonde girl wearing a sexy, purple lace dress waving enthusiastically at me, and gaped. "Catherine?!"

My sister elbowed her way to the edge of the line, grinning broadly at me. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're here!" And then she pulled me into a fierce hug that I awkwardly returned.

"Yeah well… Eric insisted," I glanced at the two vampires who'd stopped a couple of steps ahead, waiting impatiently. "Sorry guys, I'll meet you inside," I called to them, not wanting to delay their vamp business.

Both men gave me an 'are you kidding' expression, but Eric was the one to quirk a finger at Catherine that made her jump like a greyhound on the racetrack, quickly scaling the red rope that kept the line in place before grabbing my hand and tugging me in the direction of the waiting vampires. She looked like someone had just handed her a million dollars. Then she caught a look of Godric's stone-face and her smile faltered. "Er, hello again."

He gave her a nod, letting his gaze slide over my face to ensure that I was Ok with seeing my sister so unexpectedly, and then returned his attention to his progeny as they led us inside, exchanging brief greetings with Pam (who pretty much ignored Catherine and I) and into the most _vampire-y_ club I'd seen. It was all black and red and gothic, and I stuck out like a sore thumb in my light, modest dress.

"What on Earth are you doing here?" My sister asked over the music. "I had no idea you'd be in town." She looked a little put-out that I hadn't let her know I'd be around.

"It was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment thing, Cat," I said gently, patting her arm. "I've been here for some vampire business, but tonight I'm off duty. Should have thought to call you when Eric said we'd be going to Fangtasia, but these last few days have just been..."

"Shh, it's alright Sophie." She smiled at me. "This whole sister-bonding thing is still pretty new. _And_ you totally got me invited in by _Eric Northman_ in front of my friends! As big sisters go you pretty much rock as hard as any sibling ever has."

I laughed, sending the Viking's broad back a haughty glance as he leaned against the bar, talking to the staff there. "You know, the guy's already got a huge ego – fangirling over him is not helpful!"

"But he's so… mouth-watering," she purred, letting her eyes slide down his toned back to rest on his backside.

Godric appeared by my side then, making Catherine jump and blush, but he didn't give off any indication that he'd heard her obsessing over his progeny. Though he probably had, vamp-hearing and all.

"I will be with Eric for the night, little one," he said, stroking a stray lock of hair away from my face. "If you get tired of this, come to me, yes?"

I smiled broadly. "And sit on your knee like a good little girl?"

He hummed in an amused note, pulling me in for a kiss. "Yes."

"Won't you come dance with me?" I tried, wagging my eyebrows teasingly at him as I recalled the first and only time we'd been to a club together before.

The way his eyes darkened told me that he was thinking of that time too. "Perhaps later. But for now I have matters I must attend. Eric has informed the staff that you and your sister will have whatever you wish for free tonight, and you should be well looked after."

And later, he would tend to me himself, his dark gaze promised me. I enjoyed the tingling anticipation that trickled up my spine, accepted his brief kiss of departure and then turned back to my sister – who was staring at my hand with her mouth hanging open.

"Sophie… _what is that?!"_

Oh right yes, I was with someone who _did_ appreciate human customs. "Isn't it ridicules?" I grinned happily, stretching out my hand so the giant diamond sparkled like a disco-ball. "But yeah, we got engaged this morning."

For the next few hours I let myself get lost in the happiness of Catherine's – and her friends', when they arrived after having waited in line – congratulations, drinks, dancing and generally being carefree; not a witch in sight to ruin the night, no vampire Authority, no nothing. I was just out with a nice group of people – my little sister included – having fun, knowing that the love of my existence was watching me, guarding me from his seat next to Eric -who appeared to actually have a _throne_ set up on a stage where he could sit and be admired from. Somehow, someway I – Sophie Hartt, the serious fuckup of my family – had gotten my happy ever after.

Disney would have been hard-pressed to come up with a better film-plot.

"He is totally eye-fucking you."

Okay, so maybe Disney wasn't the obvious choice for a screen version of my stormy romance with the ancient vampire. I looked up towards the stage, expecting to meet Godric's darkened gaze after my sister's crude comment, but what met my somewhat-drunken eyes was the blue stare of Eric Northman.

I snorted, stuck out my tongue at him and returned my attention to Catherine. "He's probably just getting his panties in a twist about my dress – apparently it's not 'Fangtasia-appropriate'," I grinned, doing an explanatory twirl.

Catherine smirked as if she agreed with the owner of the club on my choice of dress, and then sighed dramatically. "Can't you share some of your vampy good fortune?"

The thought of all the shit that came with my 'vampy good fortune' made me laugh loudly. If Godric hadn't been my soul-mate there was no way I'd stuck around through it all, mind-boggling sex or not. "What, like rent-a-vamp? I'll run the idea by them."

We were both laughing at that concept when Godric suddenly appeared by our table. Catherine sobered immediately, probably worried that the vampire who'd threatened our entire family to not trash talk me ever again wouldn't see the humour in being rented out like a stallion, but my mood was way too elated to care.

"Catherine." His smooth voice carried easily through the noise of the club, and my sister looked at him nervously. "Go dance with your friends. When you leave, do so without the company of any vampire."

The dark touch of his Glamour was unmistakable to me, and Catherine nodded with a dazed look in her eyes before she disappeared on to the dance floor.

"Godric! That was really rude!" I hissed at him, some of my good mood disappearing. But then I noticed the lustful spark in his darkened eyes and something down low clenched happily.

"Time to go home, my light," he whispered, sliding his arms around me and pressing me into what seemed to be the beginning of something very hard and very interesting. "You are drunk and horny, and I want to fuck you. And now I can do so without you worrying about your sister being alone among vampires."

It wasn't like him to use such crude language and I briefly wondered if his progeny was rubbing off on him some. Not that I minded one bit – my panties were already soaking from just that once sentence. "Well, when you put it like that…"

* * *

I was thoroughly enjoying myself as Godric backed me down the stairs and into the basement apartment of Eric's house without breaking our kiss for more than a few brief seconds so I could breathe, though his hands were busy ridding me of pesky underwear and fondling my breasts through my half-opened dress.

Only when he'd steered me into the master bedroom and pressed me up against a hard surface did he pull his head back, hands still occupied with working on my breasts. "Eric made a request of me this evening."

"Oh?" The light buzz from the alcohol was adding to the tingling sensations he ignited in my body. I reached out to pull at his soft top in an attempt at getting rid of it so I could touch his tattooed skin and let my fingers dance over his firm muscles - my mate was sexy, there was no two ways about it, and I enjoyed exploring his hard body.

He obligingly shrugged out of it faster than my eyes – and especially somewhat intoxicated fingers – could follow, returning one hand to my boobs and the other to my face. "I wish to grant him this request, but I need your consent."

"If you believe it is the best course of action then I don't see what I could say to come between you two," I offered, somewhat puzzled. "Just please don't go travelling somewhere without me – I can't handle another period apart so soon."

A gentle thumb stroked over my nipple as a surprisingly wry smile slid over his face. "The request is that I share you with him for a night, so technically… you would come between us."

Even if I hadn't had quite a few drinks I'm pretty sure my brain would have taken a little while to process that. "I'm sorry, what?"

The smile disappeared and an earnest plea shone through his eyes. The hand from my breast came up to the other side of my face, cupping my cheek. "My Child desires to see the love we share for himself, to feel our connection. It is something I sincerely wish that he experience, so he fully understands why you are my world, my only one. You two are all that matter to me in this life – I want this, Sophie. Please, my light?"

This was way too surreal – I knew a Maker and his progeny had a close bond and had kind of clocked on to the fact that they'd probably done more shady things together in their long relationship than just wake up in the same bed, but honestly… what the fuck?!

"It really doesn't help that you call him your Child right now!" was the first thing my incoherent thoughts managed to spit out. "And you actually _want_ to _share_ me with another?"

And then the hard surface I'd been leaned against shifted slightly as two big hands came around me, deftly clasping long fingers onto my nipples, pinching cheekily. "Would you prefer he call me 'Brother' for this, little witch?" Eric's sardonic voice asked from above-and-behind me.

I shrieked in surprise, which didn't dislodge the fingers, and then just stared mutely down at his hands as he started gently stroking over the exposed flesh, my brain taking a complete time-out.

"I wish to share you _once_, and never would I want this with anyone but Eric." Godric's voice was soft and dark, causing the usual shivers to run through me. He grasped me firmly by the chin, lifting my head to meet his gaze. "You are _mine._ But so is he. You must understand that for vampires this is a natural desire."

Oh.

Right.

This was another of those damn blood-dreams. The whole trying-to-justify why I was about to get shagged by both of them was new but interesting. I sighed, giving in to the inevitable.

"Will you allow me into your bond?" The unusually soft-spoken question was murmured into my ear before a kiss that fuelled the already smouldering fires in my blood was brushed over the sensitive spot behind it.

Oh fuck it, might as well lean back and enjoy - I could always feel ashamed once I woke up. "Sure, why not. But none of that homo-erotic business please, it freaks me out." Those dreams were the absolute worst.

Both men laughed at my nonchalant acceptance and I was pulled flush against Godric's naked torso, Eric following me, covering every inch of my back as his hands slid from my breasts to my stomach.

"It will be only about you, little one."

"Greedy little witch."

I leaned in to kiss the dark-haired vampire and was rewarded with a deep, passionate meeting of our lips and tongues, but soon he ended it, smiling at me with dark desire in his beautiful eyes. "It is my wish that you share with him the love you have for me." And then he spun me around and I was face-to-chest with a very naked, hard and _huge_ Viking sporting a relaxed but somewhat teasing smile.

"I knew your tits were worth showing off," he noted, stroking his hands down my sides and then up again, tweaking my very erect nipples.

"I can't help but notice that you're already undressed," I replied, ignoring my traitorous body leaning in to his touch. "Wasn't that a little presumptuous?"

His smile widened just as Godric slipped a hand around me, stroking over the lower part of my stomach and nibbling at the back of my neck.

"I thought it might have helped persuade you, had that been necessary," was his calm reply as he leaned in, bending his head to catch my lips.

Eric was a slow kisser; he took his time to explore my mouth, humming with appreciation as my desire rose and I became more demanding, gnawing on his bottom lip to encourage him to be more aggressive. Godric's caresses of my body and his kisses to my neck and shoulders didn't help me keep calm either, and soon I was panting between them, my hands roaming freely over Eric's muscular torso and even straying down to the pronounced V of his hips.

He chuckled against my lips. "Getting impatient?"

As a way of responding I slid my hand up his thick length, enjoying how every muscle in his body tensed at my brazen caress. Yeah, I was impatient – I didn't want a repeat of last night's lovemaking dream, and this one better be rougher!

A low growl sounded from his throat as he took a step back, grasping my half-open dress in both hands and effectively ripping it off me completely in one go, leaving me naked thanks to Godric's previous disposal of my underwear.

"Very nice, Sophie," he remarked, taking in my bare body with an appreciative expression. "Your mate is beautiful, Maker."

I blushed stupidly at his praise, fighting the urge to cover myself – I was not particularly comfortable with being naked around anyone but Godric, and though I knew this was a dream I felt exposed and on display when Eric admired me like this.

Two sets of _clicks_ made me aware of the fangs that suddenly descended, one pair of them scraping teasingly along the back of my neck.

"Oh, and she turns such a lovely colour," the Viking teased, stepping forward and pressing into me again, lowering his head to the side of my neck not currently occupied by his Maker. "You have no cause for shame, witch."

"Just relax with us," Godric coaxed, sucking on my earlobe.

"We know what we're doing."

I had no doubt they did, having had the most pleasurable dreams about this sort of thing before, and I relaxed into their caresses while they goaded my body into submission. When my blood was burning in my veins for more I reached for them both, stroking Godric through his pants and loosely encircling as much as I could with one hand of Eric, squeezing.

Two growls resonated in my ears like echoes of each other, and suddenly I was on my back in the bed, my thighs being parted by Eric and my mouth being claimed by my mate.

And then a tongue lazily stroked over my lower lips, and I was totally and completely lost to anything but the pleasure of being shared by Maker and progeny.

But the Viking took his sweet time exploring me, mumbling husky words of how sweet I tasted, never actually focussing any pressure on my yearning nub of increasingly hyper-sensitive nerves, and after what must have been a good 30 minutes of this torture I felt like I was going insane with need.

"For fuck's sake Eric, stop teasing!" I yanked violently at his blonde hair, willing him to finally focus his attentions on the aching apex of my sex he'd so deftly avoided while tormenting me into a state of deliriousness.

His responding chuckle ghosted cool breath over my heated flesh, causing me to dig my nails into his scalp in frustration. "So demanding. Is she always like this, Godric?"

I arched against him, desperate for even the lightest pressure, but he stayed just out of reach and when I let go of his hair to touch myself, Godric caught and pinned my wrist above my head. "This is _my_ dream! Stop being arseholes!"

"She gets a little impatient when withheld orgasms, yes," my mate's amused voice sounded from above my head before he leaned over and licked a pert nipple.

I moaned in response, sure my mind would snap any moment now. "Please, _please..!"_

"Much better," Eric growled in approval, and then his mouth closed firmly around my swollen clit, sucking deeply. White light exploded in my brain as I came with a scream that turned into whimpers when his lips loosened slightly, softening but persisting in their administrations.

The Viking grasped my hips to keep them on the mattress, letting Godric reach over me and slip three fingers into my now soaking core. He'd done this plenty of times for me to know what was to come and I tensed in anticipation, eyes rolling back in my head. But that glorious, intense pressure against my sensitive spot failed to happen immediately, and I groaned as he lazily thrust his fingers inside of me as if he had all the time in the world.

"You two are the biggest jerks in the universe!" I moaned, trying – and failing, thanks to Eric's grip – to angle my hips against his intruding digits in that way that always made me come so wonderfully hard. "Keep this up and there will be no actual fucking!"

"You have no idea how fucking good it feels to be with you like this," Eric hummed against me, letting his fangs grace the sensitive flesh. "If you tried to deny us you'd be the jerk, not us."

"Do not be concerned that she will make good on her threats," Godric calmly assured his progeny, the hoarse note to his voice betraying his considerable arousal despite stimulating my desperate body so nonchalantly. "My little mate is too needy to pass up the opportunity for a good fucking once she is this worked up."

I half-raised my head to glare at him for his crude assumptions, but just then his fingers focussed on _that_ place inside of me and I forgot absolutely everything other than the hot surge of sweet release that had me trashing and keening violently. Only Eric's firm grip on my hips stopped me from bucking all of us off the bed.

By the time I had stopped trembling both vampires were licking the skin they'd bitten to taste my blood infused with the endorphins of my climax, having drawn it from my blissed-out body without me even realising.

"Oh, wow," I sighed, fighting my lax body so I could get up to rest on my elbows. "This is pretty much the best dream ever."

"So we are forgiven, then?" Godric enquired as he nuzzled against my cheek with his own, hands stroking over my shoulders to descend to my breasts.

My head was way too zonked out to try to remember why they needed forgiveness so I just hummed happily, smiling blissfully at the Viking that was resting on his forearms between my legs.

His eyes met mine and I startled a little at the dark hunger that blazed through, my body waking again to the clear demand in them while my brain tried to tell me something about this being depraved and wrong, but not making any headway through the dazed and lust-filled fog surrounding it.

"Maker," he growled, not taking his eyes from mine. "I _need_ your human; I beg that you let me take her now."

The experience of being treated like an object for bargaining made me shiver with reawakening desire in a way that would have made awake-me (who was quite a bit more of a feminist) extremely revolted. My knees bent of their own accord, inviting him to refocus on my so very ready slit.

"Hmm," my mate breathed in my ear, causing goosebumps to form down my neck and over my arms in anticipating tingles of pleasure. "What say you, little one? Do you want him to fuck you while I watch… feel the pleasure of you giving in to my progeny?"

"_Please_, Godric!" Eric's strained voice so filled with unrelenting need made my own spike hotly and I whimpered in response, lifting my hips.

The tall vampire raised over me, his hands crumbling up the sheets with the effort of controlling himself, and some part of my conscience registered that Godric had the full power of both of us in this – and that he was very much enjoying it. It only made the passion in the room heighten.

"It seems she accepts you," the dark-haired growled, finally letting his full desire show through his restraint. "So take her as if she was your own; see for yourself what our bond means!"

A snarl ripped from Eric's throat as I was pressed into the mattress under him, his mass suddenly hovering over my entire form, pinning me there. My legs wrapped around his on their own accord, my pelvis lifting up to meet him.

"Need you!" I gasped, shaking so hard with desire and the weight of the whole situation that I couldn't think of anything apart from how much I _needed_ him inside of me.

"I know you do," he groaned in response, reaching in between us to position himself. "I can feel you in our bond. Gods!" And then he finally pressed inside, forcing me open all the way to my very centre, and my eyes widened in alarm.

It hurt.

Not terribly, certainly nowhere near close to how incredibly _good_ it felt to be stretched so completely for him, but there _was_ pain. And it never, ever hurt in these dreams, no matter what impossible scenarios we went through – _ever_.

My hands flew up to his chest, pressing desperately against the cool expanse of his taut muscles. The way he looked down at me impatiently, a blonde eyebrow quirked in question in such a very Eric-ish manner as he paused, somehow hammered home the final realisation.

"Holy Mother of Seven Hells!" I shrieked, slapping my palms against his ribcage. _"This is not a goddamn dream!"_

"I'm aware," Eric grunted, ignoring my flailing arms as a hiss escaped him due to my muscles' sudden contractions around him. "Oh, little witch…"

"_Get off!"_

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_So this chapter was the longest damn thing I've ever written for anything, my degree included._

_I hope most of you are still on board after this development – and if you're not, again: worry not, it is not a permanent relationship change. Just some sandwich-y goodness!_


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:**

_Anything you recognise does not belong to me; I'm simply playing around with Alan Ball's and HBO's lovely universe and delectable characters._

**Author's Note/Ratings Warning:**

_Worst point to get a bit of writer's block? I think so! Decided to cut this chapter into two instead of following the original plan, so I could get something up for you before the end of the month. Unfortunately, the second half is the part with the plot-development… Sorry!_

_Anyway:  
Graphic, mature content throughout this chapter. And lots of it._

* * *

xXx

* * *

**28**

"I am planning to," he replied with an all-too-_Eric_ smirk, his hips pulling back slightly before he pushed back into my slick core, forcing an unwilling whimper from my throat at the wonderful feel of him.

"By the gods, you _are_ delicious," he groaned, moving in me again. And again.

My hands curled against his chest, attempting to push at him, but the shockwaves of pleasure and, well, shock left me unable to do anything even remotely effective. "Please…" I gasped, choking off on a moan. "N…uh!" This was so wrong, I couldn't be enjoying sex with _Eric_ -shouldn't let this continue. But he didn't stop his slow thrusts, unrelentingly forcing my body to open for him and accept what I had been begging for minutes before.

"Nothing short of a Maker's command will get me off you." The Viking glanced over my head before locking his gaze with mine. "And said Maker doesn't seem in the mood to extend one of those, so don't waste your breath; you will need it."

"_Eric..!"_ I tried again. "We can't… _Oh!_"

Godric's face, upside down from my angle, came into view before his lips descended on mine in a deep kiss that had my attempted protests reduced to mewling within half a minute. Satisfied with his handiwork he pulled back, smiling down at me with primal heat in his almost fully-black eyes. "I will not let you deny us, my light. Stop resisting; listen to your body and give in."

"But…" I stared up in his dark eyes, trying to fight back the whimpers Eric forced from me with his still-slow movements; he was no doubt used to having to start gently with most women. "This is…"

"This is meant to be," he promised me huskily. "You are with me – everything is as it should. Now, _give in!"_ The last two words were a snarled command that had my body responding before I even got to think it through, my arms winding around Eric's torso instead of pressing against his muscled chest as I panted with renewed want. For a brief moment I thought he might have Glamoured me, but the shameful reality was that I just responded _really_ well to being dominated in bed – and the jerk knew it.

Eric chuckled, readjusting to my suddenly more welcoming embrace. "Lovely little trick; I must remember that." And then he grabbed me by the chin, resting on his right forearms, and pulled me in for a deep kiss to rival the one Godric had just given me.

It was ridicules what his mouth could do to me. My nails dug into his back while I moaned at the passion he overwhelmed me with; he took me as his and I… I gave in. He was Godric's as much as I was, and in this moment in time he needed me in the same way my beloved did.

"Gods, Sophie…" He looked at me with something close to awe when he drew back from the kiss, his one, big hand cupping my face gently.

And I needed _him_.

"_More!_"

Darkness washed away the tender expression as he gave in to my demands, strong hips quickly pushing my eager body down with a faster, unrelenting rhythm that drove me to the brink of insanity within seconds. The friction was too much and I was _so close_, and all I could think was that if I came for him like this nothing would ever be the same again, the three of us would always have this connection that my overheated mind couldn't even begin to fathom and _oh_, I needed it so bad!

"Please_, need..!"_

Blackened eyes closed in ecstasy when my orgasm finally peaked and I wrapped around him, sobbing from the release.

"Good girl," a soft voice cooed in my ear as Eric gently pulled out of me, grinning down at my emotional outburst.

"Is that really all you can take, witch?" he taunted, brushing a stray tear away from my cheek with the pad of his thumb. "One, good cum and you look like you're done for the night."

Wait, what?! The two of them had just hotwired every nerve in my body _and_ shocked me to the core, and he had the audacity to _mock_ me?!

I attempted to get my face to react enough to shoot him a scorching glare, but was interrupted by Godric's snort and his fingers tweaking my still-hardened nipples.

"Please," he scoffed, tugging gently until he got a soft moan from me. "Since when have you become so soft with women? Flip her over; she will be very unhappy if we stop now, however much she appears to be done."

I honestly _felt_ done; my entire body seemed boneless and a little numb, and exhaustion was washing over my mind like a lazy wave, but Godric had never been one to accept _'I'm too tired'_ as any sort of excuse to end this kind of activity. As a result, I landed on my stomach with a grunt maybe two seconds later, large hands sliding from my hips to my backside.

"You have a gorgeous arse," the Viking's voice hummed unconcernedly, grabbing said arse firmly and pulling me up to my knees, ignoring my weak – and unconvincing – protests at the treatment. A good-natured smack to my rear made me jolt up on all fours, catching my beloved's mischievous gaze.

He was on his knees in the bed in front of me, naked, and the sight of him – as well as Eric's teasing fingers – began pushing back the fatigue from my limbs.

Long fingers curled underneath my chin, gently guiding me towards his – very ready – erection.

I smirked; this was the one activity he let me be in full control of, probably out of fear that he may harm me if he became too demanding, so I always relished in my short-term power, abusing it mercilessly. "You sure you can handle that?" I teased, happy to finally not be completely at their mercy. "I may suddenly remember how horridly you dragged out my pleasure earlier…"

Godric's lips quirked up in an impish smile to match my smirk. "Hmm." He glanced behind me, and the teasing fingers were suddenly replaced by something very large and very hard.

I groaned as my body accepted the intrusion, my fingers automatically curling up in the sheets in a futile attempt to alleviate some of the pressure.

"I am sure, dear one. You see, if you should get too playful I will simply command Eric get out of the bed." Amused but darkened eyes bored into mine. "And as I doubt he will wish for that to happen I have faith that he will ensure you behave yourself."

I managed to send him a semi-decent attempt at an appalled look. "You are a horrible master, aren't you?"

"He is the absolute worst." Eric stroked up my back to lace his fingers in my tangled hair, giving it a tug. "He is, however, also completely right. Enough talking, witch; put those pretty lips to good use or you will learn the hard way what denying him brings."

A shiver of pleasure ran through my spine, making Godric's smile a tad wider before I obeyed, humming in triumph at my mate's moaning appreciation.

And that's when I, for the first time, felt it; the blood-bond I shared with both my lovers. The jolt of surprise going through me at the sudden rush of emotions that didn't belong to me went unnoticed by the two vampires, their focus being entirely on what we were doing. But I… Dear Goddess, did _I_ notice! My magic seemed to flow naturally with it, latching on and emphasising the golden glow between us in my mind, but the overwhelming part was the sheer force of pleasure that seemed to vibrate through it, carrying an echo of their feelings as they had me.

The connection floored me, forcing my eyes closed in reverence while I took in the overpowering strength of not only the physical pleasure my body caused them, but also the all-consuming love and lust all mixed up between them, pushing into my mind and blood as if we all shared every sensation and every heartbeat. At this moment in time we were truly _one._

A hard smack on my arse snapped me out of it, causing me to yelp and then let go of Godric with a wet pop as I was roughly pulled back by the hips three times with unnatural speed. It was over before I even had time to think about screaming, but the muscles in my core were quivering from the brutality and my panting was quite a bit hoarser.

A large hand fisted in my hair, pushing my head back down as Eric stilled his hips against me. "The next time I need to remind you to do your job I'm not slowing down until _I_ come," was the gruff command from the vampire behind me.

Oh, he wasn't kidding when he said I'd learn the hard way! I shot a quick, apologetic glance up at my mate – who stroked my bottom lip with a thumb in response – before refocusing on his pleasure.

But as soon as my mouth closed around him the buzz of the bond was back, tying us together in a perfect circuit and I realised that I couldn't just sense the love and affection they had for me, but for each other as well. It was ecstasy.

I moved my lips over Godric again and again, enjoying the ripples of delight echoing through his bond to myself and his progeny as much as the direct caresses to my trembling body, but before I got to experience his orgasm through our connection his cool hands lifted my head up and off him. I whimpered in protest as my sensation of the bond was immediately broken, earning me a low-pitched chuckle.

"I want to watch you again before I take my release from you," he whispered as he leaned back, resting his weight on his hands without taking the blackened orbs from me. "I want to see you give him everything."

"But I…" I didn't get any further, because Eric had apparently reached his limit for taking things slow. He flattened me against the sheets with his much-bigger body, wrapping an arm around my torso as he hissed in my ear: "But nothing. You are _mine_!"

This time I did get plenty of chance to scream. He was so big, and so rough, and he held me so close that every single one of my senses was overwhelmed by him, taken by him – consumed. Had it not been for the brief glimpse I'd had of the immeasurable love and respect that tied the two vampires together, what he demanded of me would have been too much. But through the lust-filled fog I had managed to understand one thing: whatever I gave to Eric tonight, I gave to my mate. So I gave him everything.

"Gods, Sophie!" The snarl sounded the moment my lover felt me give fully in to his claim as I normally did for his sire, my screams turning to moans and cries over the passion he overwhelmed me with rather than the sweet agony of the physical assault. When the first orgasm blinded me his fangs dug into my shoulder, triggering another spasm deep within me, and another…

I only stopped climaxing when his thrusts grew shallow and slow, and his lips on my shoulder soft and soothing. When he stopped completely and relaxed the arm that had been tightened around me I collapsed into the mattress in a near-liquid pool, my muscles checking out of any further commitment for the evening.

"Lover," cool breath ghosted over my sweaty skin. "Thank you."

The sincerity in his deep voice would probably have touched me on another occasion, but right now I was just too exhausted to consider the emotional depths of it all. I groaned noncommittally, and then again –in protest this time -when kisses started brushing over my hair and down my back in a way that was clearly meant to reawaken my nerves to more pleasure.

"You don't get to sleep yet, little witch." Fingertips joined the lips in the gentle torture. "There is still a demand for your lovely services."

The teasing made me remember what Godric had said about 'taking his release' later, and I almost regretted my previous demands that there be no vamp-on-vamp touching because I wasn't sure how I was meant to cope with being had again, and especially not when he'd had so much time to just watch… and wait. My mate could be a very gentle lover, but never when his primal side had been provoked, and I didn't need the blood-bond connection to _feel_ his dark need fill the room.

Strong arms ripped me out of my scrambled thoughts when they closed around me and lifted me up so I was suddenly sat on Eric's lap as he kneeled in the bed in front of his Maker, my legs spread and my head lolling back against his shoulder.

"You need to wake up, sweet thing," Eric mumbled in my ear, brushing my clammy hair away with his nose while his hands slid lightly up and down my stomach before they nestled around my breasts, lifting them a little. "As much as he likes to see me come in your pussy he'll want to fuck it himself." The crude statement was accentuated with a pinch to my sore nipples. "And since I only get to share you this one night then trust me; it'll be a _full_ night."

Not quite sure exactly _when_ the fair-haired Viking had realised dirty-talking worked wonders on me no matter which state I was in – and quite possibly it was just something he did to all his bed partners – I managed to raise my head from his shoulder thanks to the jolt of excitement that shot through my sore body, only to be caught in Godric's gaze.

Pure, animalistic _heat_ blazed through me, knocking the wind out of me in a gasp as if I had been hit by a physical impact. My body involuntarily pressed back against Eric in an instinctual reaction to the predator that was staring at me.

Eric let out a deep purr before his right hands slid down, simultaneously spreading me open and squeezing my swollen clit until I whimpered. "Look at him," he whispered to me. "The most magnificent creature in existence, the most powerful being you will ever lay your eyes on… all he wants, needs, is _you_. Does it turn you on that even after how completely I had you, he will be the one to shatter you into oblivion?"

Oh, did it ever! My poor body clenched through the agonised muscles, ripping a pained but wanton moan from my throat and a _snarl_ from Godric. Goddess, I _needed_ him, with every part of my soul!

A brawny arm slipped around my midsection, lifting me up, and less than a second later I was lowered abruptly over Godric, impaling me smoothly until my thighs touched his.

My mate groaned as I yowled at the swift penetration, immediately thrusting his hips up as he held his weight in his arms, filling me to the point where it would have been painful, had his progeny not just stretched me beyond any prior experience I'd ever had.

I automatically tried lifting up a little to stay on the cautious side, but Eric's grip on my waist tightened as he pulled me back down, holding me steady and forcing my body to accept the depth.

"Trust us." It came out as a dangerous growl rather than the soothing reassurance it was probably meant as, because Godric had clearly hit the limit of his otherwise impressive patience.

But I did trust them.

Moaning from pleasure as Godric started moving I leaned back, relaxing my torso against the Viking and wrapping an arm around his neck for support. The feel of the dark-haired vampire was always unreal, but the intensity of everything, the pleasurable ache from Eric as well as his wonderful fingers on my clit and his mouth against the back of my neck had my mind reeling.

It took me less than two minutes to reach another climax.

I breathed heavily, expecting Godric to continue immediately but he sat back up and hugged my body into his, claiming my lips in a hard kiss until all my focus was on him.

My arms slipped from Eric's neck to his, locking securely as he shifted his weight, laying me back down on the bed. A dark smirk made him look like the demon he so rarely let out of the cage within him.

"Sophie." His voice was still velvet and smooth, but the dark hunger in it made me shudder in delight.

I pulled his head further down so I could carefully slide the tip of my tongue over the length of his fully extended fangs, one after the other. Caressing the most lethal part of him like this was always a sure-fire way to make him lose control. Doing it when he had already unchained his inner beast…

The _growl_ vibrated through me like an earthquake before he pulled his hips back, only to slam them back down so hard that my pelvis protested, but I was left with no time to consider such human concerns as my mate lifted one of my legs over his shoulder to be able to drive in deeper, and then slipped into vamp-speed.

I thought Eric had been rough with me. I thought the pounding I took on the car the other night had been brutal. I had been wrong.

In all honesty, if I hadn't just had so much of Eric's blood the shattering he'd spoken about would have been literal. As it was, I nearly blacked out from the raw power his body unleashed on mine, and though I normally struggled when subjected to _vamp-loving_ – just from the sheer, sensory overload – this time it was all I could do to cling on to his shoulders while he sated his primal need to possess his mate, wrenching hard-won pleasure from me in the process.

* * *

"You broke her."

The sardonic voice was somewhat distorted by the ringing in my ears.

"She will be fine." The second voice – the one belonging to my soulmate – was clearer, and held a small measure of guilt though nothing could drown out the happy purring that vibrated through me from where his chest was pressed against me. "After some rest she will barely even be sore."

"Yes, _after_ some rest. Look at her; she's practically catatonic." A prod to my ribs made me groan. "Witch, I believe I said a _full_ night – dawn is hours away!"

I didn't have enough energy to think of, let alone utter, a sarcastic reply so I didn't bother trying.

Eric heaved a sigh, and I felt the bed shift as he laid down on the other side of me. Moments later another pair of arms closed around my practically paralyzed form and firm lips brushed softly against my temple.

"Sweet dreams, Sophie."

* * *

xXx

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_I can't promise a quick update as school is pretty intense at the moment, but I'll do my best to make the wait a bit shorter for the next update._

_Again, sorry about the smut-fest; action will be back on the table next chapter!_


End file.
